Return To Tev'Meck
by Buffybot76
Summary: On Hold
1. Default Chapter

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R, possibly. Might not go that high.  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Tawney, look out!  
  
Tawney Madison barely had time to acknowlege the warning her mate had transferred to her using thier mental bond, before one of the Meechans that had attacked their landing party, grabbed her from behind. She struggled with her captor, managing to wrench herself away. Only to turn and find herself on the recieving end of a sharp right hook. Reaching up, she wiped away blood that trailed from the side of her mouth. The creature grabbed her once more, but with a sharp jab to the solar plexus, or whatever was located in the mid regions of their species, she was immediately released again. Spinning on her heel, she delivered a well aimed judo kick to her attacker's chest, knocking im away from her, and right into the sights of a very pissed off Tev'Meckian's phazor. With a bright flash, the Meechan was disintegrated into nothing but particles of moondust. Instantly, Dr. Lazarus of Tev'Meck was at Tawney's side, frantically checking her over for any injuries.  
  
"You alright, love?" He asked her, a look of worry on his handsome face.  
  
"I'm fine, darling." She said as she reached out to still his questing hands. "Go help the others." She nodded toward the other members of the crew who were at that moment in hand to hand combat with the ambushing Meechans.   
  
Why did it seem that every distress call they answered, wound up being either a false alarm or a trap? It never failed. Lazarus gave her another once over before nodding, kissing her cheek, then jumping back into action. He joined the fray just in time to pull off a Meechan who was in the process of strangling Ensign Wingate. He deftly slipped up behind the creature, capturing it's head at just the right angle, and with one quick twist, snapped the thing's neck. It fell over to the side of the Ensign, who lay gasping for air. Lazarus extended a hand to help her to her feet.   
  
"Th-thank you, Doctor." The woman managed to gasp out.  
  
Lazarus retreived the Ensign's phazor which had been knocked from her hand during the struggle, then motioned over to where Tawney was firing upon another approaching Meechan. "Go watch Lt. Madison's back." He ordered tersely.  
  
"Yes, sir." The Ensign saluted before taking her phazor and rushing to take up position at Tawney's back.   
  
Feeling that Tawney was now adequately covered, Lazarus began to search for Commander Taggart. He found him fighting with the Meechan leader.   
  
Lost the shirt again, I see. Lazarus noted as the bare chested Commander recieved a vicious upper cut to the chin. Lazarus winced.  
  
"All right, *that's* it!" Taggart raged. He was done playing. With a series of sharp kicks and punches, the Meechan leader soon went down hard. Taking the opportunity, Lazarus called out to Taggart.  
  
"Peter, head's up!" And threw his own phazor to the Commander, who caught it deftly, and positioned it under the Meechan leader's chin.  
  
"Now, call them off." Taggart said evenly, motioning toward the other Meechans who were still entangled in battle with the rest of the crew.  
  
The leader hesitated a moment, but quickly relented when Taggart applied pressure to the creature's throat with the muzzle of the phazor.   
  
"Zaripo Pto!{Back down!}" The creature called out. Immediately the other Meechans stilled, backing away from thier opponents and turning to see their leader in a dire predicament.  
  
"Good." Taggart said, jerking the Meechan he held to his feet, keeping the phazor trained on him the entire time. "Now, tell them to stand back and allow us to go back to our ship."  
  
"Mogifta Pto. Met tula te. {Stand back. Let the humans go.}" At their leader's command, the Meechan began to file back into the shadows from which they had emerged when the whole fiasco had begun.  
  
"Alright, everybody assemble at the designated conveyance spot, now." Commander Taggart ordered his crew.   
  
Immediately the landing party scrambled to regroup at the coordinants the Digital Conveyor on the ship was locked onto. Lazarus, who had moved back to Tawney's side after tossing his phazor to the Commander, was assisting the slighty limping woman back to the group. As soon as everyone was assembled, Taggart roughly shoved the Meechan toward where the other of his kind had now effectively disappeared. Taggart kept the phazor trained on the Meechan until he had rejoined his party. Clicking open his communicator, he contacted the ship.   
  
"Okay Chen, digitize us."  
  
With a sparkle of lights and slight distortion, the group was back onboard the ship. Wasting no time, Lazarus immediately swooped Tawney into his arms and stalked out of the Conveyance room.  
  
"Laz, what are you doing?" Tawney asked in an amused voice. "I said I was fine." She began to wiggle out of the Tev'Meckian's arms, only to find that he tightened his hold.   
  
"You could barely walk, and you're bleeding. I say you need medical attention." Lazarus argued, not faltering in his stride toward the Medic Bay.  
  
Sighing, Tawney stilled in her struggles only to change tactics, as she began to stroke Lazarus' scalp in just the right spots with her fingertips.   
  
"I believe I would get well much faster back in our quarters than in any silly old Medic Bay." She purred seductively into Lazarus' ear.   
  
His steps did falter then, but only for an instant. Once he regained his resolve, which had nearly gone out the nearest window port, he turned an exasperated look on his mate.  
  
"That's not going to work this time, and you know it." He looked at her with an amused gleam in his eye.  
  
Knowing he wasn't going to relent on this one, Tawney threw up her hands in surrender. Heaving a heavy sigh, she attempted to plead her case one last time.  
  
"Oh, come on, Laz. You know how I hate it when you faun over every little nick or cut I get." She tried to sound stern, but feared she came off as sounding whiney.  
  
Lazarus couldn't help but chuckle at her antics. He loved to fuss over her like he did. She was his life mate after all, he couldn't have her going off and getting deathly sick. He had nearly lost her once, and that was one time too many in his honest opinion. No, he was not taking any chances when it came to Tawney Madison's health.   
  
"Hey, guys!"  
  
They had arrived at the entrance to the Medic Bay, and Lazarus was just about to step through the doors when Commander Taggart caught up to them. Lazarus paused in the doorway and turned to face the commander.   
"Yes, sir?"  
  
Taggart's face held a look of concern as he took in the sight of Tawney in Lazarus' arms.   
  
"What's wrong? Tawney, are you hurt?" He asked as his eyes grazed discreetly over her body, as if trying to indicate any damage.   
  
Tawney heaved a sigh. "No. At least, not anything life-threatening. But you can't tell Mr. So-Overly-Concerned-It's-Rediculous, here." She joked, nodding to Lazarus, who had a somewhat pained expression on his face.  
  
"But love, I'm just looking out for your well-being. You could get hurt so easily, and it's excruciatingly painful for me to even think of anything happening to you, hence all the being overly concerned."  
  
Tawney was instantly contrite. "Oh, Laz. I was just joking, honey. I understand, really." She cooed as she began stroking his fins and applied a tender kiss to his lips.  
  
Neither of them noticed that Taggart's face had taken on a slightly nausious expression at the affectionate display before him. He was still not resigned to the thought of Tawney and Dr. Lazarus being bonded. And just watching their public showing of the fact was almost enought to make the commander wretch. Quickly wiping the look from his face Taggart addressed the still kissing couple.  
  
"Alright, you two, knock it off." He tried to sound teasing, but it came out strained. Tawney and Lazarus broke their kiss, turning to look at Taggart as he continued to speak. "Laz is right, Tawney. You need to be checked out." Then his voice took on an authorative tone. "If you don't mine, Dr. Lazarus, once Lt. Madison is settled in, I'll need your help in relaying the information of the attack on Delos 5. I'll be on the Command Deck."   
  
With that Commander Taggart turned and walked back down the corridor. Tawney and Laz looked at one another with a curious expression on their faces. The commander had been acting strange for a few weeks now, ever since the whole Sigournate Virus episode had been resolved. Although he didn't say anything, he gave the impression that he was displeased about something. But neither Laz nor Tawney could figure out what it could be. Shrugging her shoulders, Tawney kissed Laz again as he finished his entrance into the Medic Bay, walking across the white room to one of the med slabs and placing his precious cargo onto it. The med tech who had been looking at a chart as they had entered, came over to them.  
  
"Lt. Madison, what happened?" The concerned med tech asked as he instantly began taking vital stats.   
  
"Nothing serious. Just a few bumps and bruises, and I think I twisted my ankle." Tawney said, wincing slightly when the tech began to probe said ankle.  
  
"It appears to be a bit swollen, but I'll run a skeletal ray on it just to make sure it's not fractured or anything."   
  
Tawney thanked the med tech before he turned to get the equipment ready, then she turned to Laz.  
  
"Honey, why don't you go ahead and assist the Commander? I'll be fine here." Lazarus looked as if he were about to argue, but Tawney shot him a look that said 'don't even think about it'.   
  
He instantly nodded before leaning in to kiss her quite thoroughly. When he leaned back, Tawney's eyes were still closed and her expression was dreamy. His kisses never failed to do that to her. He took the time to study her beautiful face and issued up a prayer to Ipthar, to thank the diety for seeing fit to bless him with such a delectable creature as Tawney Madison for a life mate. Her eyes drifted open then, and she smiled.   
  
"I'll be back as soon as I'm done, then we can go back to our quarters so that I can tend to you properly." His velvety voice held a bit of seduction in it as he whispered this statement in her ear.   
  
At her entranced look, he smiled wickedly before turning and swiftly leaving the Medic Bay. Tawney let out a shuddering breath. He always got to her that way. She could not figure out how she had been so lucky as to be bonded to a man as incredibly sexy as Dr. Lazarus. She didn't have time to dwell on it for long though, because just then the med tech returned with the skeletal ray and began to do a total read out on her. She thought it was a bit much, but didn't protest. The sooner this was over with, the sooner she would find herself in her Tev'Meckian's arms.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lazarus had just walked onto the Command Deck when an overwhelming sensaton of sadness and loss swept over him. Back in the Medic Bay, Tawney felt it through the bond, and instantly leapt up. Ignoring the pain in her ankle as well as the med tech's protests, she ran out of the room. When she came up onto the Command Deck, she found Lazarus sitting at his console, his head in his hands. Within a few quick strides, she was at his side and laying a hand on his shoulder.  
He looked up at her in surprise.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? You should be in sick bay." He chided.  
  
Tawney shook her head sharply. "No, I should be here with you. I felt it too, you know."  
  
His look instantly turned to chagrin. "I'm sorry, love. I should have known. It just came on suddenly, it was a bit of a shock."  
  
"So, it *was* what I thought it was." Tawney stated in dismay.  
  
Lazarus nodded. "Yes Tawney, it was. That was the feeling of my mother's life force slipping away."  
  
Tawney felt the grief that threatened to overwhelm her mate fill her with dispair, and she struggled to hold back the tears threatening to spill from her already moist eyes. She noticed that Taggart had a confused look on his face, as well as Laredo, Chen and the other crew members presiding on the bridge. Turning to the Commander, she asked in a steady voice.  
  
"Do we have any other missions set up for the following days, Commander?"  
  
Startled, Taggart went over the missions log and shook his head in the negative. "No. We are clear for the next two weeks. Why? What's going on, Tawney? What's wrong with Dr. Lazarus?"  
  
Tawney turned back to her distraught mate with a look of concern, then glanced back to Taggart. "It's the bond that all Tev'Meckian children have with thier parents. When one is hurt or sick, then the other can feel it. Similar to the mating bond Laz and I share. He's feeling his mother through the bond now."   
  
Tawney paused at this, not sure whether she should tell them or not. She glanced at Lazarus in askance. Sensing her hesitation, he simply nodded slightly, head still buried in his hands. Reassured, Tawney turned back to the Commander, who was looking at her with a look of mixed impatience and concern.   
  
"He feels his mother through the bond. She's... she's dying."  
  
Taggart jolted at this revelation. He felt bad for his first officer and friend, and wanted to do something to help.  
  
"What can I do?" He asked instantly.  
  
Almost as if she had known what he would ask, Tawney's answer came immediately.  
  
"You can take us back to Tev'Meck. Right now."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
TBC...  
  
A/N: Okay guys, here it is. The first chapter of the sequel to The Sigournate Virus. Please let me know what you think. I will be working on this sporadically because I am wanting to finish my two crossover fics that started me on this whole fanfic writing journey. I can safely say, that so far it has been loads of fun. :)  
Thanks for all the wonderful feedback you have given me, I really appreciate it, and keep it coming. It feeds my plot bunnies as well as my ego, *snickers*  
Also, I will be doing one last missing scene to my S&S fics. This one will be the birth of Marianne and Col. Brandon's first child. It should be posted within the next few days, so keep a lookout. :)  
  
Rose 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R, possibly. Might not go that high.  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
Author's Note: I couldn't find the site where I had found the translation of Lazarus' language, so I couldn't translate the song at the end to Mak'Tar. Sorry, I wanted to. So, you can all just imagine she is singing in his language.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
"Laredo, set a course for Tev'Meck." Came the Commander's orders. "And give me an estimated time of arrival." Not once did he take his eyes off of Tawney, who was now attempting to comfort a very distraught Dr. Lazarus.  
  
"Aye, Commander." Laredo responded, swiveling in his chair to begin setting coordinates.  
  
Commander Taggart was so focused on the couple before him, that he didn't notice that he himself was being intently studied from across the Command Deck. Ensign Katelyn Wingate sat at her post. Though she had finished her duties, she couldn't help but stare at Commander Peter Quincy Taggart. He was, in her opinion, the most handsome man she had ever seen. When she had first lain eyes on him at the acadamy, she had thought him attractive. She had attended a year behind him and upon graduating, had learned that he was now commanding his own ship. She had made it her goal then to be assigned to the NSEA Protector at all cost. Once she had accomplished that, she had applied the skills and knowlege she had accumulated throughout attendance at the acadamy, simply to gain notice of the dashing captain. So far it hadn't worked. His interests had always been on Lt. Madison. Katelyn had hoped that once Tawney had bonded with the Tev'Meckian First Officer, that he would lose interest. No such luck. He seemed more focused on her than ever now.  
  
"Commander, estimated time of arrival in Tev'Meck's orbit is 12 hours, 32 minutes, sir." Laredo's voice drifted across the bridge.  
  
Taggart nodded. "Alright. Tawney, why don't you take Lazarus back to his quarters. I'll contact you if there is anything you need to do."  
  
"Thank you, Commander." Tawney smiled slightly, then turned to wrap her arms around Lazarus' shoulders to lead him from the Command Deck.  
  
Katelyn watched as the commander allowed Lt. Madison to assist Dr. Lazarus back to his quarters so that he could collect himself. Once the pair had left the room, she approached the commander.  
  
"Commander Taggart, sir?" Taggart turned to find an ensign standing before him. She saluted immediately. "Ensign Wingate reporting that all duties are completed, sir. Is there anything else that you require done, sir?"  
  
Commander Taggart couldn't help but notice how attractive Ensign Wingate was. From her long blonde tresses to her equally long slender legs. She resembled Tawney a bit, but there was something about the way she held herself that set off her attractiveness. Why hadn't he noticed her before? Slowly, an idea began forming in the commander's mind.   
  
"Ensign...Wingate, was it?" The commander asked with a flirtatious tone to his voice.   
  
The tone went unnoticed by everyone but Katelyn and Laredo, who was at the helm. Laredo simply rolled his eyes as he turned and continued the heading while muttering under his breath. "There he goes."  
  
"Yes, sir. Ensign Katelyn Wingate.  
  
"Katelyn, such a pretty name." Taggart smiled.  
  
Katelyn returned the Commander's smile. "Thank you, Commander."   
  
"You mentioned you were through with your assignments? Then maybe you wouldn't mind joining me down in the galley to get a bite to eat?" Taggart said smoothly.  
  
Katelyn nodded and the Commander's smile widened. "Great."  
  
He turned to exit the Command Deck with Katelyn falling into step behind him. But once out in the corridor, Taggart headed in the opposite direction of the galley. Katelyn's brow furrowed, but she held her tongue. Soon, they were standing in front of one of the crew's living quarters. After a rap on the panel, it slid open revealing a very upset Tawney Madison.  
  
"Commander, is there something wrong? Do you need my assistance with anything?" Tawney asked, turning from the Commander to give Katelyn a slightly confused look.   
  
"Oh no, Tawney. Miss Wingate and I were just going to the galley to get something to eat, and I thought we would pop in and check up on Lazarus. How is he?" Taggart's voice sounded sincere.  
  
But Katie knew at that moment what Commander Taggart was up to. He planned on flirting with her in hopes of making Tawney jealous. Well, she had no intentions of playing his game.  
  
"Actually Commander, I'm not really that hungry anymore. In fact, I feel a headache coming on and I think I should go to the Medic Bay." Katelyn gave an apologetic smile to Tawney. "Lt. Madison, I hope that Dr. Lazarus feels better soon."  
  
Taggart looked as if he were about to protest, but at that moment a great wail of sorrow issued from within the Tev'Meckain's sleeping quarters. Automatically, Tawney spun and hurried back inside, leaving the panel door open. Taggart watched the retreating back of Ensign Wingate longingly before turning back to the pitiful cries flowing from inside the room.  
  
"Dammit." Taggart ground out under his breath.   
  
Finally coming to a decision, Taggart stepped into Dr. Lazarus' living quarters. The commander hesitantly made his way to where the Tev'Meckian lay cradled in Tawney's arms on the bed. The blonde woman was rocking back and forth and cooing into the now crying man's ear. Taggart looked at Tawney with a question in his eyes. 'Is there anything I can do?' Tawney looked up briefly at the commander and he saw the grief that filled the woman's eyes as well. Through the bond, she felt the grief and dispair that was going through Lazarus, as well as the sense of loss from Lazarus' mother. It was almost overwhelming, the look in her eyes. Taggart knew then that he was not needed here. They knew what they needed and it would be best to let them comfort themselves. So, Commander Taggart turned away from the heart rending scene on the bed and slipped quietly out of the room.  
  
Back in the sleeping quarters, Tawney continued to rock her mate in her arms. She had stopped cooing and had begun to hum a tune that was not familiar to Lazarus. After a while Tawney went from humming to singing. The words of a lullaby she had heard a long time ago back on earth flowed from her lips in a language that she had not spoken in but once. The soothing words pierced through the sadness that had enveloped Laz.  
Each line of the song brought forth comforting images to his tortured mind.  
  
{Lay down now and slumber, Mama's boy is torn asunder)  
  
He thought of the time he had first engaged in battle. Such a big day in his Mak'Tar adulthood. He thought of how he had been slightly injured and returned home to his mother, who tenderly healed his wounds with a look of love and admiration in her eyes.  
  
(All the fields have gone grey, All the leaves are gone brown}  
  
Images of his homeworld came through the haze of sorrow.   
  
(Let me tell you a story, Lay down, I know you're weary  
While the stars in the sky, While the moon's on the rise)  
  
His mother, congratulating him on being accepted to the Acadamy. And later, teary eyed but smiling, as she kissed him goodbye when he was preparing to leave on his first mission.  
  
(Lay down and don't you wake 'til morning, Close your eyes and helpless through the night}  
  
Lazarus felt his eyes begin to drift close. His wailing had abated as Tawney's soft voice had caused the smothering sorrow to flee from his troubled heart.   
  
{Lay down and dream of love and glory, This is a lover's lullaby)  
  
His mate was here for him, and she would not leave him. And they were on their way home. To his mother. He would be with her soon.  
  
Tawney's voice trailed off as she heard the even breathing of the Mak'Tar cuddled in her arms. She knew he had finally drifted off and couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction that she had helped him. Now that he was calm, her own nerves were finally allowing her to relax and it was then that she realized how exhausted she truly was. Shifting to lay down beside her mate, Tawney snuggled herself into Lazarus' arms which unconciously reached for and drawing her into his own comforting embrace. Soon, she too was sound asleep.   
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R, possibly. Might not go that high.  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
Note: Thanks so much to Denise. You are a God-send!   
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
Commander Taggart left Lazarus' quarters with a bit of reluctance and trepidation. Once out in the corridor, he thought for a moment, trying to figure out what he should do. He finally turned and made his way to the Medic Bay intent on finding Ensign Wingate and explaining things to her. He felt he owed the woman an apology.  
  
But when he got there, he found no sign of her. Shrugging, he turned around and made his way back to the Command Deck, feeling he should check up on the crew and see about their heading. He felt the urge to get Lazarus to his homeworld as quickly as possible, but if it were for Laz's benefit or for Tawney's, Taggart was unsure.  
  
He reached the bridge to find Laredo and Tech Sgt Chen in the middle of an arguement that was bordering on an all out fist fight.  
  
"...and I'm telling you every minute counts!" insisted the young helmsman.  
  
"Not if it means damaging the engines!" Chen replied.  
  
"Man, you just don't understand! Dr. Lazarus' mother is *dying*. He needs to get there pronto!" Laredo argued. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides as he faced off with the Tech Sergeant.  
  
Taggart decided now would be a good time to start smoothing things over. Stepping in between, he placed a hand on each man's chest.  
  
"Hey guys, calm down. Now, what's going on here?" Taggart asked, looking from one crewmember to the other.  
  
"Sorry, Sir", Laredo came to attention. "I was just trying to help out Dr. Lazarus."  
  
"...and I was telling Laredo that the engines won't take much more...not after what they were put through on our last mission", Chen interjected.  
  
Taggart sighed. "Alright." He turned to face Laredo. "Okay, you go back to the helm and you," He turned to face Chen. "Go back to the engine room and keep an eye on things there. I'll take care of this."  
  
Chen nodded once and saluted before leaving the bridge. Taggart then turned his attention to the helmsman. The young man had a determined expression on his face, but also a trace of something that the Commander couldn't quite identify.  
  
"Laredo? What's gotten into you? You know that Chen knows what he's talking about when it comes to the Protector's engines. Why is it so important to you to get Lazarus home?"  
  
Laredo slumped at the helm, and sighed. When he spoke, it was quietly, and with a great deal of difficulty. The hairs on the back of Taggart's neck stood up, as a feeling of deja vu hit him. "I...sort of know... what Dr. Lazarus...is going through, Sir", he began. "He's racing against time, and I don't want to see him lose *his* race.... You see, Sir", he continued, with a lump in his throat, "When I was eight, I was at a sleepover at a friend's house. My Dad called, to say Grandma Laredo was in the hospital, and he was gonna pick me up...but, by the time we got there, she was dead." Tears were now rolling down the young man's face.  
  
Taggart felt as if he had been punched in the stomach by Gorignak the Rock Monster. He had no words to express how he felt at hearing Laredo's revelation. He moved a hand to grip Laredo's shoulder in a gesture of comfort and shook his head sadly.  
  
"I'm so sorry Laredo. I had no idea, I..." His words died off as Taggart found he couldn't continue.  
  
"I know, Sir. It just hit close to home, you know? Dr. Lazarus has saved my hide plenty of times; Lieutenant Madison has, too. Maybe this is a good way to repay them."  
  
"Maybe, but we should really concentrate on getting them there in one peice. Keep the speed at warp 2, okay Laredo?" Taggart patted the man's shoulder before going to sit in the Commander's chair.  
  
"Aye, Commander" Laredo replied as he set the ship to a moderate speed.  
  
However, Laredo promised himself to be ready to increase speed, in case the situation on Tev'Meck started to snowball, and Laz's mother's condition deteriorated.  
  
"Laredo, open a frequency for Tev'Meck. Send a message indicating we are on our way--and why--and will be there in," He consulted his time crystal a moment, "...ten hours and 22 minutes."  
  
"Yes, sir." Laredo replied, as he set about carrying out the order.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Meanwhile, in another part of the ship, the young woman known as Katelyn Wingate sat in her living quarters contemplating her next move. She was still upset about how the Commander had acted before, and felt that he still had not actually noticed her as a woman. Just as a means to an end. The headstrong, young woman had no intentions of being used in such a way and was devising a way to get the commander to actually notice her the next time they spoke.  
  
In aggravation, Katie lept to her feet and began pacing the length of the room. "Hmph!! He thinks he's so smart, pretending to come on to me...when all he wants is what he can't have!!" She did an about face when she reached the far wall of her quarters and began pacing the other way. "How *dare* he treat me like that?! He was practically flaunting me in front of her!!"  
  
Once she reached the bed again, Katie flopped back down on it so hard she bounced twice. Her long blonde hair splayed out across the surface in silken waves. Since she was off-duty, the ensign decided to head for the ship's gymnasium, to practice her dancing skills.  
  
"Who knows? I might even see the Commander there, too", she thought... for she suspected he would head there, as well, "He might use part of our traveling time for a workout, too", she thought. Putting on a leotard that fit perfectly in all the right places, she then donned a warm-up suit, so as not to attract unwanted attention, as she made the trek to the gym.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Tawney slowly awoke from the depths of sleep to find Lazarus cuddled in her arms like a sleeping child. Shifting slightly, she disentangled herself from the sleeping Mak'Tar and rose from the bed to go into the living quarters, so that she could use the comlink without disturbing him. She opened the link and spoke softly into the com.  
  
"Command Deck, this is Lt. Madison." She waited a moment for a response.   
  
Before long the sound of Commander Taggart's voice filtered out from the comlink.  
  
"This is the Commander speaking. Tawney, how is Laz?"   
  
"He's sleeping. It's the only thing I could think of to keep him from suffering. Peter, I don't know what else to do." The helplessness in Tawney's voice tore at the Commander's heart. He struggled to come up with something--anything--to say to comfort the distraught woman.  
Before he could say anything though, Laredo spoke up.   
  
"Commander? We're getting a reply from Tev'Meck, sir. They say that Dr. Lazarus' mother's condition is deteriorating. She's not going to last much longer."  
  
At that moment, three things happened almost simultaneously. From over the comlink, Taggart heard the distinctly intensified moans of Lazarus, although he was in another room. Tawney not only heard, but felt Lazarus' distress. She was so overwhelmed by the sensation that her vision blurred and she found herself losing her footing and crumpling to the ground. At hearing the definite sound of a body falling, Taggart lept from his seat and raced from the Command Deck, intent on getting to Tawney as fast as possible.  
  
By the time that Taggart reached the entrance to Lazarus' quarters, the Tev'Meckian's cries of agony and despair could clearly be heard. He made his way into the outer area, where he found Tawney. She was struggling to stand; however, the agony she felt, through the bond with her mate, was so strong that she could only crawl toward the sleeping quarters. Before stooping to lift her, Taggart quickly contacted Chen on the commlink.   
  
"Throw another log on the fire, Chen!" he ordered. "We don't have much time!" Helping Tawney to her feet, he assured her. "It's OK, Tawney, we'll make it...you'll see!"  
  
Together, they went to confront and comfort Dr. Lazarus. Despite the woman's bond, though, Taggart couldn't completely suppress his desire for her...and he found himself, once again, jealous that Laz had what he'd wanted...  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
Author's Note: Thanks again, D!!!  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  
Commander Taggart helped Tawney to lie back on the bed beside a now writhing Lazarus. Instantly, the blonde woman turned to hold the tortured man tightly in her arms as he continued to moan and cry out his torment.   
  
Taggart was caught between feeling concerned and aggravated. He knew the situation was serious, but he couldn't do anything about it. And if there was anything Peter Quincy Taggart hated more, was to feel helpless. He was reduced to nothing more than a voyeur. He couldn't even approach Tawney to comfort her, because she herself was too busy comforting Laz. Taggart fought down the vile thoughts that his mind was conjuring up in regards to his so-called best friend.  
  
"Tawney? Is there anything I can do?"  
  
Tawney didn't reply verbally, only shook her head and held Lazarus tighter. His moaning had dissipated once more, now that his mate was holding him. And so, Taggart found himself staring at the pair on the bed for the second time since they had began the journey to Tev'Meck. Finally, Taggart collected himself and thought the best way for him to get his mind off of this whole thing was to wear himself out. He didn't have anything else to do until they orbited their destination, so he decided to go to the gym for a workout. Maybe if he trained hard enough, he could keep his mind off of the object of his desire and the fact that she could never be his.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Once Commander Taggart had left the room, Tawney rolled Lazarus so that she could look into his face.  
  
"Laz... I need you to tell me what to do. I'm lost here, and I can't stand feeling your pain much longer." Tawney pleaded with her mate.  
  
Where he found the strength through the emotional enslaught he was experiencing, Tawney did not know. But somehow, Lazarus managed to catch one of her hands in his own and brought it up to a space just between the Tev'Meckian's shoulder blades.   
  
"Right....there." Lazarus managed to choke out as the sensations again overwhelmed him.  
  
For a moment, Taweny was confused. Then, it dawned on her. Of course, how could she have been so stupid! There was a pressure point between a Mak'Tar's shoulder blades that relieved stress. If the right pressure was applied, it should lessen poor Lazarus' torment. Taking her fingertips and applying an adequate amount of pressure to the spot, it didn't take long for Tawney to notice the change in the way Lazarus was breathing. What once was sharp gasps soon became a mixture of gasps and deep shuddering breaths. Then, after a while, Lazarus let out a deep sigh and his entire body convulsed slightly in Tawney's arms before relaxing completely. All the while, Tawney spoke softly to him. Miraculously, as Laz's agony eased, Tawney's did as well.  
  
A final sob escaped Laz, as he huskily whispered, "Thank you." As the relaxing touch of his life-mate continued, the Tev'Meckian's mind cleared a little. After a time, he said, a little more steadily, "I wish you could have come to Tev'Meck sooner, and met her. You would have gotten along so well...."  
  
Though she had begun to relax--as Laz's torment had eased--Laz's statement brought another disturbing thought to the front of Tawney's mind.   
  
"What about the rest of your family? Will there be any... problems... since I'm human?"  
  
Using abilities not yet known to Tawney, Laz managed to squelch the thought that was forming in his mind. He didn't dare allow **this** thought to be transmitted along their bond.  
  
Tawney felt a thought forming, but just as quickly it was gone. That worried her for a moment, but before she could say anything, Lazarus had moved to sit up in the bed and cradled her in *his* arms.  
  
"I'm sure my family will be delighted to know that I have found my life mate." Lazarus chose his words carefully.  
  
"Laz, please. This is important. Is there a possibility that there might be disapproval?" Tawney pleaded. This was important to her, she wanted everything to go right.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Lazarus looked into Tawney's blue eyes and knew then and there that he could not keep this nor anything else from her, ever.  
  
"Tawney... I'm not... sure if... they will approve."   
  
The thought that Lazarus' family would not accept her as his life mate, scared Taweny more than she had ever thought possible. She loved Lazarus with all her heart and soul, and she could not think of anything that would make her happier, besides maybe an Earth wedding ceremony, that could make thier bond more perfect.  
  
"But...what can they do about it?" Tawney asked, her voice trembling. "You've found your one true mate...How can they make you take another?" she asked, remembering what she'd read about Tev'Meckian customs and beliefs.  
  
Lazarus didn't answer for a few moments. Tawney felt dread begin to creep up her spine as the minutes dragged by.   
  
"I truly don't know, my love", Laz finally said. He truly didn't know, either: No such precedent existed.  
  
"Well... that doesn't matter now, what matters is that we get you to your mother's side in time. And once we're there, we will face whatever repercussions occur, together." Tawney said firmly, as she snuggled impossibly close to Lazarus' side.  
  
Lazarus smiled gently at the woman in his arms, and felt his heart swell impossibly large with all the love he held for her there.  
  
"Yes, love. We will face everything....together."   
  
As Tawney continued the healing touch on Laz's back, they sealed their agreement with a tender kiss.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Neither Laz nor Tawney knew that they had an ally on the Command Deck, whose self-imposed mission was to get the Tev'Meckian home in time to say "Good-bye."   
  
'Maybe', Lieutenant Laredo thought, 'it would help make up for the time **I** was late....'  
  
Laredo wouldn't get their hopes up yet--or his own--but it looked like The Protector would be in orbit around Tev'Meck at least two hours sooner than anticipated.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Meanwhile, in the gym, Commander Taggart had just walked through the entrance panel to find a breathtaking sight before him. Katelyn Wingate was there in the middle of a mat strategically placed in the middle of the room. She didn't seem to see him as she was busy doing a set of pirouettes across the mat. Every once in a while, she would leap into the air, legs out in an impossible split and land once more to go into another set of pirouettes.   
  
Taggart couldn't help but smile as he leaned against a wall, arms crossed over his chest and watched the beautiful ensign continue her dance. After a few moments of watching, Taggart finally decided to make his presence known. He waited until Katelyn drew nearer before he inconspicously cleared his throat and began to clap enthusiastically.  
Startled, Katelyn spun around to find Commander Taggart staring at her with a funny grin plastered on his face.  
  
"Commander Taggart. What are you doing here?" Katelyn asked, although she was secretly pleased that he was.  
  
"Oh, I just thought since it's going to be awhile before we reach the planet, I might as well have myself a little work out." Taggart said as he approached Katelyn.   
  
Katie thought he resembled a sleek Fangor Beast stalking its prey... beautiful but dangerous. Katie also couldn't help but notice, when the Commander stood right beside her like he was doing now, how tall the man was. She herself, was a good 5'7, but still only came up to the man's chin.  
  
"Well, you'd better get to work then, shouldn't you."   
  
Katelyn had no idea where that had come from. She had never thought of openly flirting with the Commander. Only trying to get him to notice her by doing her job. But he didn't seem to be minding, and she couldn't help but feel a bit giddy at the smile he was now bestowing on her.  
  
"Perhaps, you'd like to join me?" Taggart asked.   
  
He seemed to be up for a bit of flirting himself. Katelyn shrugged as she backed off of the mat and moved toward the work out equipment.   
"Sure, why not. I've got time." She answered.   
  
Taggart was doing a dance of victory in his mind just then. This was one way, at least, to take his mind off of more disturbing thoughts. He walked over to join Katelyn at the Bicep Builder and couldn't help but think that maybe the rest of the journey wouldn't be so bad.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
Author's Note: I've got to give credit where credit is due! Denise has helped me out alot in the last couple chapters. Hell she practically co-wrote them with me. So this fic is for her. Thanks D!!!  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
  
As before, when their lips met, a soft glow began emanating from their entwined bodies. Lazarus' lips were gentle as they claimed Tawney's. The kiss was sweet, yet no less intense and Tawney sighed in contented pleasure. She allowed her hand to trail down from its spot between Laz's shoulder blades, to rest on his lean hip.  
  
Lazarus allowed his fingers to trail up Tawney's arm to the base of her neck as he intensified the kiss. His tongue tasted her lips briefly before they parted to allow it entrance to frolic with her own. A deep moan escaped both of them as Lazarus rolled their bodies so that Tawney now lay atop him. Bracing herself, Tawney pushed herself up to sit astride his hips and looked down at her mate with concern in her eyes.  
  
"Laz," She gasped. "Is this a good idea?"  
  
"Please don't stop, love; I need this...we need this to fortify ourselves against what lies ahead." Laz's emotions started to get the better of him then; however, he quickly regained control, and continued, "Besides, this may be the last time we can do this for a while."   
  
He was thinking of the Tev'Meckian rituals that lay ahead. His responsibilities, as eldest son, would keep him occupied for some time after their arrival at his homeworld.  
  
Lazarus reached up to unfasten the front of Tawney's uniform, allowing the material to fall away to reveal the soft, satiny skin beneath. As his hands ran lovingly over her curves, Tawney allowed her eyes to close as she arched into his tender touch.   
  
She moved against him then, as she ran her hands lightly along the sensitive fins along the sides of his head, eliciting a moan from him. Throwing the top half of her uniform fully away from them, Lazarus rolled them yet again, to trap her beneath his own body. He leaned up to take in the sight of her beautiful body, before dipping his head to kiss the hollow of her throat. His hands trailed downward to begin the tedious removal of her last piece of clothing, and his mouth, not wanting to break the contact with her skin, followed the downward movement.  
  
All thoughts of Tev'Meck--and the sad events that lay ahead of them--disappeared, as Laz and Tawney gave themselves to each other, body and soul.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Laredo had just finished up his shift and another Ensign was taking his place at the helm. He was leaving the Command Deck, when Tech Sgt. Chen came up to him.  
  
"Laredo, I uh, I just wanted to say that... I'm sorry about what I said. I just tend to overreact when it comes to this ship, you know?"  
  
Laredo just shrugged. "It's all right man, I understand. I shouldn't have taken it so hard, but..." His voice trailed off as he found he couldn't bring himself to tell the tale again.  
  
Sensing that Laredo had another reason for pushing for speed earlier, Chen clapped a hand on the young helmsman's shoulder. "Don't worry about it; the engines weren't as bad as I thought. The extra speed might even be good for them...for a while."  
  
"Besides", the Tech Sergeant continued, "I may be able to coax a little more out of them, and get us to Tev'Meck in about six hours."  
  
Unspeakable relief washed over Laredo. 'At least you'll make it home on time, Laz', he thought to himself. To Chen he smiled and replied,   
"Thanks man, you're the best." And clapped the Tech Sgt on the shoulder as he made his way on down the corridor.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
After their respective workouts, Commander Taggart and Ensign Wingate had showered...though not together, despite the ensign's desires. Afterwards, they'd changed clothes, and were headed toward the galley. "So, Ensign...why did you want to sign on with The Protector?" Taggart asked.  
  
Katie hesitated for a moment, not quite sure how to answer the Commander's question. She couldn't possibly tell him that HE was the reason she had signed on. There was just no way. But then, what could she tell him?  
  
"Well, sir..." She began.  
  
"Please, call me Peter." Taggart cut in. He was wanting to put the young woman at ease around him.  
  
Katelyn blushed slightly. "Peter." She amended. "I joined the Protector because I heard that it had a wonderful Commander and crew." She continued.  
  
Taggart looked pleased with her answer, and Katie sighed inwardly in relief. She didn't know what she would do if he learned the truth about her signing on in hopes of catching his attention. She was making a little headway and she didn't want to screw it up.  
  
They walked in silence to the galley, where Katelyn got a salad from the food generators. Peter, after his workout, retrieved a "power shake." At the sight of the lumpy liquid in the Commander's glass, the Ensign's stomach began to protest. Little did she know that the shake would be the most appetizing thing she would see in the galley this day.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Really, Tawney, I can manage!" protested Laz, as Tawney insisted on having him lean on her. While their lovemaking had started slowly, it hadn't ended that way, and the two were famished. "Are you going to try...?" The Tev'Meckian teasingly whispered something in her ear.  
  
"Uh...not today", hedged Tawney. 'Watching you eat that is one thing,' she thought to herself, '...but I'm not ready to try it!'  
  
Tawney was relieved, however, that Laz's spirits seemed to have picked up a little, in spite of everything. She could only hope that the upcoming events would not destroy him...them. With an arm about each other's waist, Tawney and Lazarus headed toward the galley to grab a bite to eat. Lazarus grumbled a bit as he was still weak from the pressure that the bond with his dying mother had put on him, but couldn't help but enjoy the feel of Tawney's soft curves as they pressed into his side.  
  
When they approached the galley entrance, a feminine laugh reached their ears. Tawney's steps faltered, and for a second, she contemplated turning them both around and going back to their room. But Lazarus needed to eat, and she herself was quite hungry as well. They had worked up quite an appetite. So, as the entrance panel slid open, Tawney and Lazarus stepped inside.  
  
Tawney felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise reflexively, as she heard Ensign Wingate chortle, "Oh, Peter! That was hilarious!!"  
  
'No woman calls him that, except me!' her mind screamed in jealousy. At that moment, Laz--who, of course, had felt her anger through their bond--gazed at her curiously. A flush of shame hit Tawney full blast. 'I have nothing to be jealous about!' she berated herself. 'I have what I want!' She hugged Laz all the more...just as Taggart looked up.  
  
"Tawney." Taggart said, a surprised look on his face. "Are you all right?"  
  
He didn't look at Lazarus, nor did he acknowlege him. Tawney noted Peter's lack of concern for Laz, and simply ignored the question. Instead, she helped her mate to the processor and ordered their selections. Once they recieved their trays, they turned to find a seat.  
  
"Why don't you guys sit with us?" The Commander offered, as he scooted over closer to Katelyn, to make room at their table.   
  
A bit reluctantly, Tawney led Laz over to the table where Commander Taggart and Katelyn sat. Tawney, who had carried both trays, sat them down upon the table, and almost immediately Ensign Wingate's face turned a peculiar shade of green.  
  
"W-wh-what is...that?" She managed to get out as she stiffled the urge to gag.  
  
"What, this?" Tawney said, as she gestured to Lazarus' tray. Katelyn nodded weakly as she eyed the bowl of writhing and squirming creatures that sat before the Tev'Meckian. Tawney smiled wickedly. "Oh, that's just some Kep Mok Bloodtick soup."  
  
Katelyn shot Taggart a stricken look before hastily rising to her feet. "Um, Peter. Perhaps we can continue our conversation another time. I've just remembered that, um, I have something...to do...elsewhere. Yes. I need to go...now." The ensign rambled as she backed away from the table awkwardly.  
  
Taggart rose to his feet, alarmed at Katelyn's behavior. "Katie? What's wrong, sweetie?"   
  
If she hadn't felt so sick just then, Katelyn would have jumped for joy at hearing Taggart use the endearment in regards to her. But at the moment, she was too busy trying not to regurgitate the salad she had just ingested.  
  
"Nothing, I just.... I'll talk to you later." She replied.  
  
"But...but..." Taggart stammered.   
  
But before he could finish his protest, Katelyn had fled the galley, the panel sliding silently closed behind her. Taggart turned back around to the pair at the table with a bewildered look on his face.   
"Wonder what got into her?" He asked, as he retook his seat.  
  
Lazarus shrugged as he dug into his bowl of Kep Mok Bloodtick soup. He was unconcerned as to why the ensign had fled. Tawney, on the other hand, had to stiffle a smirk that threatened to break out.  
  
It wasn't the first time, since he'd saved Tawney's life--while simultaneously finding his lifemate--that Dr. Lazarus had felt Commander Taggart's discomfort. However, his senses had been heightened by the turmoil and strain of the last few hours . He now realized why the Commander had flirted with Tawney all those times...and why he'd been carrying on with Ensign Wingate. 'He's jealous of me...of us!' he thought.  
  
'I know...but he'll get over it', Tawney silently communicated through their link. Trying to distract the men, she spoke up. "Laz was telling me that, when someone dies, family members are allowed to bring friends to the Departure Ceremony."  
  
"What...? Oh, yeah: friends," Taggart's mind was brought back to their sad task. "How can we help, Laz?" he asked, now truly concerned.  
  
"Well, I can bring three people with me," Laz began. "Tawney will be there, of course," he said, a little apologetically. "I'd like you to come, as well, Peter...but I'm trying to decide on a third person...."  
  
Taggart briefly considered suggesting Katelyn. He immediately rejected the idea, realizing that it wouldn't be fair to either Laz or Tawney...not under these circumstances. Suddenly, an idea hit. "Well...," he began, "since neither one of you has been on the Command Deck, you probably haven't heard about the fight that nearly broke out earlier...."  
  
Both Tawney and Lazarus perked up at hearing this. "What? A fight? What are you talking about?" Tawney asked worriedly.  
  
Lazarus had a worried expression on his face as well.   
  
"Well, it seems that Laredo and Chen were arguing over the speed of the ship. Laredo was hell bent on getting you home as quickly as possible, Laz." Taggart informed the Tev'Meckian.   
  
Lazarus' expression switched from worried to bewildered.  
  
"Chen was trying to tell him the engines wouldn't take the speed, but Laredo wouldn't take no for an answer. I wasn't wanting to have to make a pit stop to pick up another Byrrillium Sphere, so I told him to keep it at an adequate speed." Taggart continued to explain.  
  
With an elegantly arched brow, Lazarus' only reply was, "Why?"  
  
Tawney Madison's feminine intuition kicked in just then. 'I know why!'  
she realized. Memories of past adventures came to mind...all of them with the young helmsman neck-deep in trouble. For some reason--probably because he was dilligently working on his soup--Laz had not picked up her thought...however, Commander Taggart saw the expression on Tawney's face, and nodded in agreement.  
  
"He feels he owes you two something, for all those times you've saved his hide", Taggart acknowledged quietly. There was no point, yet, in telling them Laredo's other reason for wanting to get to Tev'Meck ASAP.  
  
Lazarus' spoon paused midway to his mouth, long enough for one of the bloodticks to hop off the end of the spoon and do a swan-dive back into the bowl.   
  
"He doesn't have to do that. That's what friends do. They look out for one another and help them out when need be..." Lazarus said passionately. If there was one thing the Tev'Meckian believed in,it was the bonds of friendship. He glanced down then to see he had lost his supper and dipped the spoon in once more before continuing. "....the way you're helping me now", he mumbled into his bowl, a lump now forming in his throat.  
  
As he was looking at his food, Lazarus totally missed the look of guilt that played over Commander Taggart's face. Tawney, on the other hand, did not.  
  
Tawney gave Peter a warning look before saying in a firm voice. "We should really thank Laredo for the gesture. It was really nice of him."  
  
Lazarus agreed as they finished up their meal. "We will thank him when we go to invite him down to the planet with us." Lazarus stated.  
  
Taggart stood the same time Tawney and Lazarus rose.   
  
"I'll just escort you to the Command Deck. Don't want another episode like before." He said without thinking. Almost immediately he wanted to kick himself as Lazarus gave him a curious look.   
  
"What do you mean? What previous episode?" He looked from the Commander to an embarrassed Tawney.  
  
"N-nothing, Laz. It's nothing at all. Just... let's get to the Command Deck, alright?" Tawney tried to turn the conversation. Laz looked about ready to protest, but just then Laredo entered the galley.  
  
"Hey, Dr. Lazarus. Lt. Madison. Great to see you up and about. After the Commander ran off like he did, I was worried."  
  
Lazarus looked suspiciously at Peter. "What is he talking about? What happened?"  
  
"Well...", the young man began, hesitantly.  
  
"You mean when I fell?" Tawney mercifully finished for him.  
  
"That's it!" Laredo said.  
  
"Well we were all worried...about both of you", he said. "I was really glad to hear that the Commander had ordered more speed." He added.  
  
Despite the helmsman's covering statement, Laz didn't miss his lifemate's guilty look. "You fell?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"Actually, 'slipped' is probably a better word", she stammered. Her tone of voice was enough to warn Peter not to contradict her!  
  
"Why didn't you say something?" Laz asked gently, momentarily forgetting that he and Tawney had an audience of two.  
  
"Because you were hurting so much more," Tawney replied tenderly. She was about to reach up, and stroke Laz's fins, but stopped herself just in time. Turning to Laredo, she changed the subject, by saying, "We heard you'd nearly come to blows with Tech Sergeant Chen."  
  
"Well...he was concerned about the engines...like I should have been," Laredo began.   
  
"However...?" prompted Dr. Lazarus.  
  
"It's not as bad as you think, Laz." Tawney again tried to take her mate's attention off of the sensitive subject.  
  
Lazarus turned his attention to his mate. Through the bond he sent her a silent message. 'This isn't over. We WILL talk about this...later.' When Tawney nodded meekly, Lazarus turned back to Laredo, this time with a slight smile on his face.  
  
"So, Laredo. How would you like to accompany myself, Tawney and the Commander down to Tev'Meck when we arrive?"  
  
Laredo's expression could not be called nothing less than euphoric.  
  
"You mean that? I mean, you REALLY mean that?"   
  
Lazarus smiled at the vibrant young man before him and nodded. "Yes, Laredo. That is exactly what I mean."   
  
Laredo was practically bouncing in his happiness. He had wanted to explore the planet of Tev'Meck for a long while...ever since he had joined the crew of the NSEA Protector and met Dr. Lazarus. He was practically giddy with happiness...plus, he wanted to pay respects to Lazarus' mother. He couldn't explain it really, but Laredo felt that if he did this, it would be like making amends for not being there when his own grandmother had passed away.   
  
This thought brought his happiness down a notch, making it bittersweet.  
Tawney looked up curiously, at the sudden change in Laredo; Laz caught it, too. However, Taggart quietly waved off any questions.  
  
Laredo didn't notice this though. Without warning, Laredo threw his arms around Lazarus, hugging the startled Tev'Meckian tightly. Laz was frozen in indecision for a moment, but then resigned himself to patting the man on the shoulder.  
  
"I won't let you down, Sir!! Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it!" Laredo vowed.  
  
Tawney and Peter took in the touching scene and couldn't help but smile.  
  
"So... I guess this means you accept?" Lazarus said in an amused voice.  
  
Laredo pulled back, but not before wiping the stray tear that escaped to run down his cheek.  
  
"Yes, sir. I accept."  
  
"Very well, then", Lazarus stated. "There are some ceremonial robes we'll all need."   
  
With that, the four left the galley and headed to Laz and Tawney's quarters.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
  
After Katelyn left the galley, she had stopped by the Medic Bay to get something to ease her nausea. Then she had retreated to her quarters for intense strategy planning. She couldn't believe she had wimped out like that back in the galley, in front of the Commander and... HER! Katie was so embarassed, but that still didn't stop her from scheming to get Commander Taggart for herself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"We're supposed to wear THAT?" Taggart could not keep the disdain from his voice, as he looked at the robes that Lazarus had handed him in horror.  
  
Lazarus gave Peter a look that said, 'Please? It would mean a great deal to me' and the Commander gave a sigh as he grudgingly replied, "Oh, alright."  
  
Tawney was smiling at the childish display before her. She couldn't help it, it was just so cute. She turned to look at Laredo, who had a look of awe on his face as he examined his robes.  
  
"Wow, this is just great. I like the color, too." Laredo commented on the brown and orange material.  
  
"It's the colors of our people." Lazarus provided, as he moved to stand beside his mate. He placed an arm securely around Tawney's waist and pulled her close.  
  
Both of their backs were to the Commander, so they did not notice the scowl on the man's face. Unfortunately, Laredo, who was facing Taggart, did notice.  
  
'Don't even think about it, man. It's not going to happen.' Laredo thought to himself.  
  
Peter noticed the way Laredo was staring at him, and started slightly at the fact that he had been caught coveting Tawney. He averted his eyes guiltily from the young man's stare and cleared his throat.   
  
"Um, maybe we should check on our progress. See how much longer we have?" He offered.  
  
Tawney turned to Taggart and smiled. "Sure, Peter. Hang on, just let me open a link."   
  
Tawney disengaged herself from Lazarus' arms and walked over to the comlink.  
  
"Computer?" Tawney began.  
  
{Yes Lieutenant Madison.} The electronic voice of the main computer answered.  
  
"Give an estimated arrival time of the NSEA Protector in the Tev'Meck orbit."   
  
After only a moment, the electronic voice was back. {Estimated time of arrival in the planet Tev'Meck's orbit, 3 hours and 37 minutes.}  
  
Tawney turned back to the others, "Three hours and 37 minutes, Peter; we've got time to rest up before we get there, guys", she replied. "Sounds like a plan", replied Taggart. "OK, everybody, let's be on the Command Deck, ready to digitize, in 3 hours, 15 minutes; until then, let's hit the sack!"  
  
Laredo waited until the Commander moved to exit the room, before falling into step behind him. Once they had left the couple's quarters, Laredo turned to Taggart. The helmsman didn't say a word, but Peter could see the disapproval in the young man's eyes as he slowly shook his head before turning and walking away. The Commander gave a haggard sigh before turning and walking in the opposite direction that Laredo had gone. He needed to talk to someone. And he figured he knew just the person.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As soon as the entrance panel had slid closed behind the Commander and Laredo, Lazarus slumped slightly against Tawney.  
  
"Laz!" Tawney shouted in concern, as she caught her mate in her arms.  
  
As Laz began weeping uncontrollably, Tawney again felt his grief and despair overcome her. She now realized that he'd somehow hidden his pain from her...and from himself.   
  
'Now we both have something to discuss later!' she scolded him, over their mental bond.   
  
She then steered Laz to their bed, where she helped him lie on his side. Feeling his pain--their pain--growing, she again began tending to the pressure spot between his shoulder blades. "Shh", she whispered.  
  
Slowly, Laz's weeping eased, and he regained control of his senses.  
  
"I'm sorry, love", he began...but Tawney cut him off.  
  
"You should be", Tawney said. While firm, her voice was soft...and that cut through the Tev'Meckian like a knife. Sobs of shame now escaped him. "I should have realized that there were ways of hiding emotions...even across a bond like we share", she said. "After everything has been taken care of, I fully expect to be taught the methods. Do I make myself clear?"   
  
Overcome by shame, Laz could barely choke out, "Yes...I promise."  
  
He could feel her disappointment in him...and that hurt almost as much as the ebbing of his mother's life force.  
  
The last thing Tawney wanted was to hurt her mate any more than he was already, so she smiled at him tenderly as she joined him on the bed. They snuggled down into each other's arms and after sharing a tender kiss, were soon sound asleep in each other's arms.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Katelyn had just stepped from her jaccuzi-sized tub, when she heard the sound of someone knocking on her door. "Now who could that be?" She muttered as she grabbed a skimpy bath robe and threw it on to hide her nakedness.  
  
"Who is it?" She called, as she tried to find something she could put on.  
  
"It's Peter, Katelyn. I was wondering if you had a little time to spare?"  
  
'Oh my GOD!' Katelyn stiffled the urge to scream. She became frantic as she tried to locate her clothes, then, a thought struck her.  
  
Katelyn took a second to glance into the Refleco-screen, running her fingers through her wet locks and straightening the robe. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she cleared her throat before calling out. "Sure I have time. Come in, Peter."  
  
From inside her sleeping quarters, she heard the entrance panel slide open and the sound of the Commander entering her living quarters. Taking a deep breath, Katelyn calmed her nerves and stepped out into the main room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Taggart was facing away from her when Katelyn came out of her sleeping quarters. She smiled as she watched him admire her collection of dance awards. She had won them while she had been on earth, before she entered the acadamy. After standing there for a moment, Katelyn thought it time to make her presence known.   
  
"Ahem." She cleared her throat delicately.  
  
Startled, Taggart turned around abruptly, knocking over the Illumna Lamp on the desk beside him in the process.  
  
"Katelyn, why..."   
  
The question Taggart was about to ask died on his lips as he took in just what the young insign was *not* wearing. Katelyn looked at Commander. She could swear the man was blushing.   
  
"You were going to say, Peter?" She asked, trying to hide the amusement in her voice.  
  
"W-w-what? Oh, right! Well, I was just..." Here Taggart began laughing with a bit of embarassement. "W-well, you know, I was j-just wondering. Why you decided to become an Ensign on a starship?"   
  
When he saw the hurt look in Katie's eyes, Taggart hurried to continue. "I mean, you won all these awards here." He gestured to the awards on Katelyn's wall. "I thought you would be some famous ballarina by now."   
By the time he had finished his babble, Taggart's face was in a full blush.  
  
"Would you like to sit down, Peter?" Katelyn seductively purred.   
  
By now, though, Taggart had recovered enough to tell the ensign what he'd originally intended.   
  
"We'll be going down to Tev'Meck soon, for the Departure Ceremony, for Dr. Lazarus's mother."   
  
"Yes; I feel so sorry for him...even though I don't really know him yet", Katelyn said.   
  
Just then, Peter spotted--among the ensign's dance awards--a certificate.   
  
"So...you led your class in helmsmanship?" he asked, now all business.   
"Yes, Sir", Wingate replied, formally, pulling her robe about her a little more.  
  
This conversation wasn't going the way either of them had intended. However, Katelyn saw a chance to make an impression on Peter...one that might lead in a more pleasant direction.  
  
"Are you saying what I think you are?"   
  
"Yes, Ensign", Taggart replied. "We'll be assuming orbit around Tev'Meck in a few hours. I want you to relieve the helmsman on duty when we arrive. That way, you'll have some hours under your wing, in a non-threatening situation."   
  
Little did he know what awaited the Protector's landing party.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Tommy Laredo had never been one to cast unfair judgement on anyone, be they friend or foe. But at this particular moment, Laredo found that he was doing just that. And on the Commander of all people. Furiously stuffing various implements into his bag, Laredo could'nt help but mutter to himself all the while.  
  
"I can't believe the nerve! And right in front of Dr. Lazarus, too. Ooh, there is gonna be a heap of trouble down on the planet if he keeps that sort of thing up." A few spare pair of boxers were thrown unceremoniously into his bag. "You'd think the man would know true love when he sees it, but nooo, just leave it up to someone like the Commander." Laredo stopped then, chastizing himself for the impudence he had just given in to.   
  
Laredo continued stuffing what he thought he would need into the bag and, once finished, lay back on his bed for a quick rest. Lying back, ankles crossed and arms behind his head, the helmsman allowed his thoughts to drift to a more personal matter. As he lay there, his mind conjured up images of a time long past. When his grandmother had doted on him in her usual grandmotherly way. Baking him homemade chocolate chip cookies, the kind with the chunks of walnut in them. They were his favorite. He remembered all the times that, before he had left to join Acadamy, he would stay the night with his grandma and stay up late at night, listening to her read stories of far off places and people. People that he had never thought he would get the chance to meet before he had recieved his acceptance into the Acadamy. A lone teardrop made its way silently down Laredo's cheek. He allowed it, not moving to brush it away, simply letting it fall.  
  
'I should have been there.' He thought. 'I should have made it there in time. She was my world, and she slipped away without me even getting to say goodbye.'  
  
With a heavy sigh, Laredo turned to his side and closed his eyes. Hoping that sleep would dull the pain that was, at that moment, in his heart.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Meanwhile, in their quarters, Tawney and Lazarus had managed to get some sleep. However, Laz had awakened, his weeping stronger than ever.   
  
"Laz? What is it?" Tawney probed, gently.   
  
Although she knew--through the bond--that Laz's mother was now close to death, she also knew that Laz had to speak his mind...and unburden his heart.  
  
"We...don't have...much time", Laz gasped.   
  
Tawney was again massaging the Tev'Meckian's pressure point; however, their proximity to the planet was rendering the effort useless. Tawney rolled over, and checked the timepiece next to their bed.   
  
"We'll be there soon", she said. "We'd better get ready."  
  
Quickly the two of them stripped, and stepped into the sonic shower in their quarters; there was no time for a dip in their Jacuzzi-style tub. After washing each other, the two dried themselves, and quickly changed into fresh uniforms, donning the ceremonial robes over them. They would give Taggart and Laredo their robes on the Command Deck.   
  
"Don't forget the flask", Laz suddenly remembered.  
  
"Oh, yeah!" said Tawney.   
  
She picked up a flask of perfumed oil. The oil would be sprinkled over Laz's mother, as she ended her mortal life. Together, the couple exited their quarters, and made their sad trek to the Command Deck...and then, Tev'Meck....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
  
  
Tawney and Lazarus arrived on the Command Deck just as Katelyn was taking a seat at the helm.   
  
*Just what the hell does he think he's doing?*  
  
The venomous thought drifted to Lazarus through the link and he gave Tawney's shoulder a slight squeeze.  
  
*Easy, love.*  
  
Peter looked up from his position, leaning over Katelyn as he instructed her on what to do, to see the look on Tawney's face. He knew that look. It was her 'are you crazy, are you sure you know what you are doing' look.  
  
"Tawney," He interjected before she had the chance to begin her tirade.  
"Did you know that Katelyn recieved an award for helmsmanship during her years at the Acadamy?"   
  
Tawney's expression lightened then, as she turned her attention to the young woman sitting at the helm.  
  
"So...you won an award at the Academy?" Tawney set the flask of ceremonial oils on the console. She was trying to be pleasant, for everyone's sake.   
  
"Yes, Ma'am", Katelyn replied. "I was...um...tops in my class." Accepting the olive branch, the young ensign made light of her accomplishments. "My instructors where quite proud of my skills. Said that I would make a fine helmswoman one day."  
  
Tawney felt a smile tugging at her lips. She really had no qualms with the young woman due to the fact that the Commander's actions weren't her fault. Still, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive when it came to actually conversing with Ensign Wingate.  
  
Laredo spoke up just then from his place beside the console. "Hey guys, we're there. Guess we should make for the Digital Conveyor, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I think you're right, Tommy, we should get going." Commander Taggart spoke up. He patted Katelyn on the shoulder affectionately before turning and leading the other three off of the Command Deck. "Maintain standard orbit, Ensign", he said as he exited through the panel.   
  
"Aye, Commander", came the crisp reply.   
  
Tawney could feel that Laz's pain had indeed intensified in the last few minutes, but he was hiding it valiantly. She assisted him down the corridor and through the entrance panel to the room where the Digital Conveyor was housed.  
  
*Hang on, Laz! We're almost there!* Tawney urged, through their bond.   
  
*I'm trying...but it's so hard!* Laz was close to tears.   
  
Steadying her mate with both hands, Tawney helped Laz to, then onto, the platform. Taggart and Laredo followed.  
  
Chen stood at the Conveyor's controls, ready to Digitize them down to Tev'Meck's surface. Everyone positioned themselves on the platform and waited.  
  
"Okay, Chen. Digitize us." Came Taggart's order.  
  
A hum was heard, followed by a flash of lights, as all four figures of the landing party stretched and contorted visibly for a short second, before disappearing altogether.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The sight that Tawney's eyes beheld, once the effects of being Digitized had worn off, was utterly breathtaking. They had landed a ways away from Laz's clan's villiage, and all around them was a vast open desert-like enviroment. Only, it wasn't a barren wasteland like some deserts appeared to be. The atmosphere on the planet was unlike desert air as well. It held a pleasant fragrance and there was a constant warm breeze blowing. A particular hefty puff blew Tawney's hair, causing it to fan out about her face.  
  
*My God, Laz. It's beautiful.* Tawney stated through the link. Despite Laz's pain, she heard a soft chuckle in her head in response to her appraisal of her mate's homeworld.  
  
*Not as beautiful as you, love.* Lazarus couldn't help but add.  
  
Tawney was about to turn to the others when she caught a glimpse of something cresting the hill in the distance.   
  
"What's that?" She asked, drawing the attention of Laredo and Taggart, who had been examining the landscape as well.  
  
"That would be my brother coming to greet us." Laz responded for all to hear. In her mind, Tawney could hear Laz's voice call out through the link. But not to her. *Lareth, are we too late?* The Tev'Meckian worried.  
  
Another male voice, similar to Laz's deep rich one, entered Tawney's mind then.   
  
*Nay, my brother, you are not too late. But you *are* cutting it a bit close.*  
  
"Commander, we must make haste!" Laz said, urgently. The landing party quickened their pace.  
  
As the crew members approached Lareth, Laredo finally spoke up. "Sir, what are those?"  
  
"Damned if I know." The Commander replied with a bewildered look in his eyes. "Laz, what the hell are those things."  
  
Fighting the pain that was threatening to overcome him--and Tawney--Laz replied, "Eshors." Each animal resembled a cross between a rabbit--a HUGE one--and a bat, the humans thought. Bat-like wings extended from the quadrapeds' forelegs. The animals' gait was also like a bat's.  
  
"We're supposed to *ride* those?!"  
  
"Oh, ye of little adventure, Peter." Laz surpressed the grimace of pain, replacing it with a snarky smile.  
  
Taggart shot Lazarus a look that clearly said, 'bite me' before turning back to gawk at the wierd creatures that were approaching.  
  
"I'm all up for adventure." Taggart grumble his argument. "As long as it doesn't involve riding Mr. Hoppy there."  
  
It was just then, that Lareth arrived atop his own Eshor. Behind him, being led by a tether, where four more of the strange looking creatures. Lareth slid off of his mount and approached Laz, drawing his brother into a welcoming, as well as comforting hug.  
  
"Lazarus, it is so wonderful to see you once more, my brother. I am only saddened by the fact that it has taken a tragedy such as this to bring you back home."  
  
Laz hugged his brother back just as tightly. "I know, but it couldn't be helped. How is Lethe?" Laz spoke of his younger sister and Lareth's twin.  
  
"She is with mother. It is hard for her, she was always closer to mother than either of us." Lareth replied.  
  
Laz nodded. "Let us hurry now, I wish to see mother."   
  
Lareth released his brother then.  
  
"She will be comforted to see you...and your friends...." Lethe now eyed the humans warily...especially the woman, who seemed to be supporting Laz more than just casually. Could it be possible that his older brother had actually taken this...alien...as a life-mate?  
  
Would he--could he--have actually gone against all tradition? Unknown to Laz, Lethe sent an urgent telepathic message to their father.  
  
"Alright then, let's saddle up!" An enthused Laredo said as he stepped up to one of the Eshors.  
  
The creature eyed him warily, but tolerated it when Laredo stepped up into the stirrup and hoisted himself onto it's massive back.  
  
Once astride, Laredo looked back down to see that Taggart hadn't moved from where he stood. He seemed to be frozen in place. Laredo knew what was going through Taggart's mind, and he wasn't about to allow the man to back out now.  
  
"Oh, come on Commander. It'll be a new experience." He urged.  
  
Taggart noticed Tawney glaring at him, and finally, gulping very audibly, approached another of the monsters.  
  
"New experience, my ass." Laredo thought he heard the Commander mutter, but wasn't quite sure.  
  
After a few failed attempts to mount up, Taggart finally found himself perched precariously on top of the Eshor. He immediately felt nausious as he saw exactly how far up in the air he actually was. It was just as upsetting as being held upside down by the Gorignak. Trying *not* to look down, Taggart focused on Tawney as she climbed up onto her own animal.  
  
*God, she's beautiful.* He couldn't help but think to himself.  
  
The sudden jerk of the Eshor taking off, cut Taggart's obsessive thought short though. He noticed that the creature was falling in line behind the others. Sort of like follow the leader. First, Lareth's Eshor, then Laz's. Tawney's came next followed by Laredo's and finally his. As they made thier way to civilization, Tawney glanced ahead to take in Lareth's features. He was younger than Laz, by a few years at least. Handsome, just like Laz as well. But even though she knew this was her mate's brother, Tawney got the distinct impression that he did not like her... them. At all.  
  
Tawney tried her best to sheild her thoughts from both Laz and Lareth. The last thing she wanted was to come between her mate and his brother. Or any of his family for that matter.  
  
*We're coming, Father!* Laz sent a message across his parental bond.   
  
The moment his father received the message, he knew something was amiss...for as his mind was touched by Laz's, another, alien, presence was carried with it.  
  
*Lareth, do not lie to me: Is it true...?* The elder Tev-Meckian demanded of his younger son.   
  
*It is true, Father*, responded Lareth privately, blocking the link so that Laz could not hear the discussion. *Laz has taken a life-mate from among the humans.*  
  
At the villiage, Lareth and Laz's father turned toward the village elders, who were assembled for the Departure Ceremony. This ceremony would be especially somber, for it was their leader who was feeling the pain of losing his lifemate. But even though he was in such pain, he addressed them, "We have a problem...and it must be dealt with soon."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc...  
  
  
Author's Note: The description of the Eshors were taken from the movie 'The Dark Crystal' by Jim Henson. I'm not sure of the real name of the creatures in that movie, so I made up my own. 


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know   
and you can have it.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 8  
  
  
The young Tev'Meckian girl sat stoicly at her dying mother's side. Every now and then she would dab at the woman's sweat drenched forehead with a damp cloth. The pain that racked her mother's frail body was transmitted to the girl through the parental bond, thus causing the girl to utter a gasping sob every now and again. But mostly she held back. Lethe knew she must be strong for her mother. The end was growing near and she feared that her eldest brother would not make it in time to see his mother before she faded from this life. In her mind, Lethe issued up a prayer to Ipthar that her mother just hang on for a bit more. As her older brother and twin drew closer, Lethe felt the sibling bond grow stronger. They would not be too much longer in getting there.  
  
"Hang on, mother. Lazarus shall be here soon." Lethe said softly as she stroked her mother's fevered cheek. "Very soon."   
  
The elder woman, who was much to weak to speak, simply squeezed her daughter's hand, which held her own in a comforting grip. Lethe wanted to sob at how weak her mother's grip was. She was slipping further away by the second, she could feel it, as she was sure her brothers could feel it as well. Lethe closed her eyes and issued an urgent plea out across the bond.   
  
*Laz... Lareth, please hurry.*  
  
While she waited on her brothers, Lethe took a deep breath. It was then that she realized something: Her eldest brother had taken a lifemate!! She felt her heart leap at the thought, for--even through his despair--Laz had also communicated to his sister the love he felt for Tawney.   
  
*A human as a lifemate?* she pondered...just hard enough for her mother to receive the thought.   
  
*Is it true, daughter?* her mother asked, through the parental bond.   
  
Realizing, from the silent--not spoken--question, that her mother was nearing the end, Lethe could not hide the truth.   
  
*Yes, Mother, I believe he has...one of the humans with whom he works*   
*Listen to me, daughter*, the elderly Tev'Meckian implored, *Do not allow your father or twin to destroy that which Ipthar has decreed.*   
The woman knew that her firstborn's actions would not be well-received by the other males in her family...or by the Village Elders. *I will let my wishes be known at the proper time....*   
  
*It will be as you wish, Mother*, Lethe replied. Just then, the sound of approaching Eshors was heard.....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Laz felt a smile come over his features at his little sisters mental reaction to his love for Tawney. She was shocked, yes, but not disappointed. He should have known that a kindhearted girl such as Lethe would not hold judgement on his mating with one not of their species. She was like their mother in that respect. He only hoped his father was as understanding. They were only now reaching the outskirts, and he could already see the group of elders that massed in the clearing that served as a sort of town square for the villiage.  
  
In front, Laz made out the towering form of his father, who stood, hands on hips and watched the approaching group. The Eshors came to a stop and knelt down to allow their riders to dismount. Taggart tried to dismount a bit too quickly, causing him to fall off the Eshor and land in an undignified heap. Laz dismounted next, followed by Tawney and Laredo. Laz dismounted next, followed by Tawney and Laredo; the younger man rushed over to his commanding officer.   
  
"Sir, are you all right?" Taggart arose silently, looking daggers at his helmsman.  
  
  
Once they were all on the ground again, the three humans turned to see Laz approaching one of the elder Tev'Meckians. Luchien of Tev'Meck, head of the Mak'Tar clan and father of Lazarus, Lareth and Lethe, stepped forward to embrace his eldest son.  
  
  
"My son, it is a great gift indeed to be able to lay eyes on you once more." Luchien managed to say in a somewhat steady voice.   
  
The stress of his mate's waning lifeforce was becoming too much to bear, but he needed to greet his wayward son properly before they went to the Departure Hut, where his mate was being kept.  
  
"It is good to be back, Father. I only wish it could have been sooner, before..." Laz's voice took on a strangled sound as it trailed off. He took a moment to collect himself, then looked to his father and saw that he too had felt the particularly harsh pain which had just engulfed them. "Let us go to mother." Lazarus finished when he was able to speak again.  
  
Laz's father nodded, then motioned in the direction of the Departure Hut. "This way."  
  
The crowd of elders parted, allowing their leader to pass through, followed closely by Laz, Tawney, Lareth, Taggart and Laredo.  
  
As they neared the hut, the flap covering the entrance was suddenly flung open.  
  
"Laz!"  
  
A feminine version of Lareth flew out of the hut and threw herself into Laz's outstretched arms.  
  
"Lethe!"   
  
Lazarus embraced his younger sister, first warmly, then desperately, as he felt himself losing control of his emotions. A sound of shuffling feet brought him back to another set of duties. When he spoke, it was formally, but with a shaky voice.   
  
"Father...Lareth...Lethe, may I introduce my friends from the Protector: Commander Taggart, Lieutenant Madison, and Helmsman Laredo."   
As each crew member stepped forward, Laz reveresed the introductions, naming his father--who formally thanked each of them for coming--then his brother and sister. Tawney no longer needed any bond to realize that her mate's father and brother didn't like her...at all. However, as Lethe embraced her, Tawney distinctly felt the young Tev'Meckian woman's mind reaching out for hers.   
  
*Welcome, Sister! My mother will be so pleased!*  
  
*Sister?* Tawney couldn't help but ask.  
  
*Of course. You are my brother's lifemate, and in turn are now mine and Lareth's sister in bond.* Lethe's response soothed Tawney's anxiety.  
  
At least one of Laz's family members was willing to accept thier bond. And according to Lethe, so was her and Laz's mother. Tawney felt a wave of relief wash over her. A feeling that reached Laz through the bond, causing him to look at her and smile supportively. She reached out and took his hand in her's, squeezing it tightly for a moment, then released it so that he could enter the hut to bid his fastly fading mother one last farewell.  
  
Dr. Lazarus ducked inside the entrance of the Departure Hut and paused, taking in the still form of his mother lying amidst the furs piled about her frail body. She seemed so small, not even beginning to resemble the stout woman who had held him and cared for him during his youth, and later, taught him the values of being a true Mak'Tar. He closed his eyes briefly at the sight, wanting to retain the images of a healthy, vibrant woman with enough love in her heart to fill the vastness of space.   
  
"Lazarus."  
  
Laz's eyes snapped open as his mother's voice drifted faintly to his ears from across the hut. In an instant, he was across the room and kneeling beside the bed, taking up his mother's fragile hand in his much larger ones.  
  
"I am here, mother. Don't speak, you'll only exhaust yourself more." Laz pleaded, his voice husky with emotion and unshed tears.  
  
*Let me see her* came the silent request...a request which momentarily surprised Lazienne's firstborn.   
  
*Yes, Mother*, Laz replied. Reaching for Tawney, then realizing she had remained outside with the others, he passed on his mother's wishes mentally. *Please come inside* he requested. Tawney was surprised at the summons.   
  
"Excuse me", she said to the assembled humans and Tev'Meckians.  
  
Since Laz's father had not specified what the problem was, that needed to be dealt with, the Village Elders were surprised to see the human woman go into the Departure Hut: This was a privilege reserved only for the dying person's mate, offspring...and their mates. Laz's father and brother felt the burn of humiliation, as the secret was now revealed. Their humiliation was multiplied tenfold as they realized that Lethe apparently approved of the union...and that, most likely -Lazienne would, as well.  
  
Tawney entered the darkened hut timidly, not really knowing what to expect. The sight of her mate kneeling beside the deathly pale form on a bed of furs, made Tawney's heart go out to the woman lying there. Tawney could feel every tinge of pain that the other woman was experiencing, and realized that this was where Laz had inherited his strength and courage. From this fading soul that lay before her. Laz turned slightly and beckoned her forward. Tawney complied and went over to kneel beside her mate and looked into the face of Lazienne of Tev'Meck.  
  
*Welcome, Daughter.* Came the soft voice through the link and into Tawney's mind.  
  
*Thank you*, Tawney tried to respond mentally.   
  
She glanced at Laz first, desperate to know if her efforts had been successful. Her bond with Laz was strong...but would it extend to his family?  
  
*You are most welcome, my dear. I can see that my son has been blessed with a beautiful lifemate that loves him very much. This knowledge makes me very happy. What is your name?* The elder woman emplored.   
  
*Tawney Madison.* Came Tawney's reply.   
  
*Tawney, I only ask one thing of you. And I beg that you heed the dying wish of an old woman.*   
  
*Of course... anything.* Tawney assured her.   
  
*Whatever you do, whatever happens from this moment forth. Do not let anything come between you and your mate. You were placed together by Ipthar himself, and it is no one's place to set you apart. Keep the sanctity of your bond safe. Hold onto your love...both of you.*  
  
At that moment, knowing that they had the support of at least two family members, both Laz and Tawney gave in to the tremendous pressure they'd been feeling. Each one took one of Lazienne's hands, and began weeping openly.   
  
*Thank you*, each one "said".   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 9  
  
  
  
Tawney stayed by Lazarus' side for a few moments longer, before deciding she should allow him a last moment alone with his mother. Excusing herself, Tawney reemerged from the hut, only to come face to face with an indignant-looking Luchien.  
  
"Where are the sacred oils needed for the Departure Ceremony? None of these other...earthlings know anything of it." The haughty tone of his voice caught Tawney's attention, causing her to become defensive.  
  
"I have the flask right here." Tawney replied a bit haughtily herself, but as she reached into the pocket of her uniform, she realized that the flask was not there at all.  
  
"Well.... where is it, then?" Luchien asked as he stood, one hand extended out to recieve the nonpresent flask. Tawney flushed slightly, and ducked her head in shame as the memory of just where the flask was emerged.   
  
*TELL ME, HUMAN.* Luchien forced his thought on Tawney through the bond, causing her to gasp and whimper in pain. His eyes, much like Laz's, flashed as he clenched his outstretched hand closed into a fist.  
  
Her cry drew the attention of Taggart and Laredo, who were standing a few feet away, conversing with one another.  
  
"Tawney, what's wrong?" Taggart asked, coming over to place a hand on her shoulder in comfort.  
  
"I.... I forgot the flask." Tawney whispered, a look of horror on her face.   
  
A look that could have only been pure malice spread over Luchien's aged, but handsome features. His eyes took on a sharp gleam and his mouth was pursed tightly. From behind him, Lareth glared at Tawney openly.   
  
"That was very stupid of you, human." Lareth practically growled.   
  
"Hey, it's not her fault." Taggart interjected. "She was worried about Laz, she can't help it if she left it on the ship!" Taggart returned the glare that Lareth shot him, then turned, placing his hands on Tawney's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Tawney, honey, where did you leave it?"  
  
Tawney paused, struggling to remember, when Laredo spoke up. "It's on the helm console!"  
  
Tawney's face lit up as she realized that, yes, that was exactly where she had left the flask of oil. Taggart now also remembered: Tawney had set the flask down, when she was speaking to Ensign Wingate.   
  
"All right, then!! I'll just have someone run it down here!" He stepped to one side, to contact the ship. "Protector, this is the Commander." Taggart spoke into his Interstellar Vox.  
  
After a moment, a feminine voice replied. "Yes, Commander. This is Ensign Wingate."  
  
"Ensign, do you see the flask that Lieutenant Madison brought to the Command Deck? It should be on your console."  
  
On the ship, Katelyn searched her console and indeed found a small silver flask perched off to the left of where she sat. She realized that it was something important or the Commander wouldn't have called up to the ship for it. Smiling she responded.   
  
"Yes Commander, it's right here. Do you need it brought down to the planet?"   
  
"Yes, please, Ensign...and we don't have much time." Taggart realized, from Tawney's pained expression, that she and Laz were likely feeling the last of Lazienne's lifeforce leaving her body.  
  
Taggart closed the Vox with a snap and turned to place an arm comfortingly over Tawney's shoulders.  
  
At that second, a cry from Laredo caught the group's attention. The two Tev'Meckian males, Tawney and Taggart turned just in time to see Lethe swoon and almost fall. Laredo managed to catch her though, sweeping her up into his arms.  
  
"Lethe!" Lareth exclaimed as he rushed up and practically yanked the girl's body from Laredo's grasp.  
  
"Hey man, watch it!" Laredo's voice held an edge of irritation.  
  
"Lareth, it's all right. I was only... overwhelmed for a moment. Mother is worsening." Came Lethe's faint voice, breaking the animosity-filled glares Laredo and Lareth were shooting one another.  
  
Lareth's features softened when he looked down upon his twin for a moment, then turned back to his father, communicating through the bond his opinion on this matter. Luchien nodded once and turned to Taggart.   
"Well Commander, my mate is almost at the end of her lifespan. Your Ensign had better get here soon with the oils." An unspoken 'or else' flashed in the elder Tev'Meckian's eyes.  
  
Commander Taggart's eyes hardened at the implied threat and gritted his teeth as he answered. "She'll get here, no need to worry about that."   
The two men eyed one another again and the tension was only broken by the faint cry of Lethe, who still lay in Lareth's arms. They needed to return to the Departure Hut... now. As Laz's family and fellow crewmates streamed into the Departure Hut, it was Tawney who reached Laz first, and--while she was concerned for him--she was relieved that the other Tev'Meckians gathered around Lazienne.   
  
*I'm here, Darling*, she "told" Laz...not caring who "heard" her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Outside, realizing what was happening, the Village Elders began to gather, ready to perform the rituals that accompanied a Departure.   
"So...Lazarus has broken with tradition, and taken an outsider", one Elder remarked.   
  
"Apparently so", replied a second Elder.   
  
"What can be done about it?"   
  
"Bloodlines must remain pure", the first Elder spoke.   
  
"We must break the bond...even if it means that Lazarus never continues his family line."   
  
"There is another son to do that", the second Elder remarked.   
  
"But how do we break the Bond?"   
  
"The Earthwoman will have to die." the first Elder decreed.  
  
Neither Elder realized that their remarks had been overheard: Ensign Katelyn Wingate--ceremonial oils in hand--had Digitized just a few meters behind them.   
  
I've gotta tell the Commander! she realized.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
Katelyn Wingate had no idea how she managed to get herself into these things. All she had wanted to do was deliver the flask to the Commander, thus showing him what a valuable crewmember she was. Maybe get permission to stay for a bit longer even. She had NOT planned on overhearing the plans of Tawney's assasination, and had no idea of what to do. She knew she had to get to the Commander and tell him of the plot. Silently, she slipped past the group of elders, who still had their backs to her. She made for the hut that her tracking device showed to house the members of the landing party.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Liamoto, one of the Elders, heard a faint rustle from behind. Turning slightly, he could make out a female form scurrying away in the direction of the Departure Hut. He nudged the Elder to his right, T'Noseen, and nodded in the direction of the fleeing form. T'Noseen made as if to go after the human, but Liamoto grabbed his arm, staying him.   
  
"No, do not." Liamoto said quietly. "Not yet. We will deal with this little spy after the ceremony. Above all else, THIS must not be disrupted."  
  
T'Noseen nodded, glared in the direction that Katelyn's form had disappeared to for a few moments longer, then returned back to the others to continue plotting.  
  
"We need the Leader's Scrolls." T'Noseen stated.  
  
Liamoto shook his head, "Luchien will be occupied for awhile longer. We have time to prepare the ritual spears. When the ceremony ends, we will be ready."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Once she reached the entrance, Katelyn hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should barge in and just blurt out what she had learned, or if she should be discreet and tell the Commander in private, so that he could do something about it. She knew that it was urgent that they get the flask quickly, so she finally decided to just hand it over and wait to speak to the Commander alone. Katelyn lightly tapped on the door to the hut and waited for someone to let her inside. After a moment, the door was opened, and a young Tev'Meckian female appeared. Her eyes were bloodshot and tears streaked her saddened face. Katelyn realized that this must be Dr. Lazarus's sister.   
  
"Here is the flask," The Ensign said to the young Tev'Meckian. "I'm sorry no one noticed it earlier...and I'm sorry about your mother."  
  
Lethe managed a weak smile of gratitude, as she took the flask. Katelyn returned the smile, then cleared her throat. "Um, I don't mean to be a bother, but... Do you think you could tell the Commander that I wish to speak with him. At his earliest convience." She added.  
  
Lethe looked at the female human and nodded once more, then turned and shut the door. Not knowing what else to do, Katelyn turned and just began taking in her surroundings. The structure of the buildings, though modern in appearance, seemed very advanced. The material that made up the structure of the huts was foreign to Katie. She was quite sure that the substance was only found on this world. Katelyn ran a hand along the side of the hut she was standing by and wondered at the smoothness of it. It felt like marble, but looked more like granite.  
  
*Hmm, I wonder if these people realize what a commodity they have on their hands here?* She thought to herself. *Probably not. Such a pity, this stuff would be very valuable on less resourceful planets.*  
  
Realizing that she would probably be in for a long wait, Katie crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back against the hut to wait.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When Lethe returned to the group gathered around her mother's deathbed, she handed the flask to Lazarus. Being the oldest son, he would be the one to administer the oils. Once she had handed over the flask, Lethe moved over to where her twin and father stoicly stood.  
  
At that moment, a great shudder shook Lazienne. Luchien, her lifemate, kneeled at her head. Her sons, Lazarus and Lareth took thier positions, as well; one son flanked a shoulder of the dying woman. Lethe kneeled beside her twin, motioning for Tawney to kneel beside Lazarus...not that Tawney needed urging: She felt Laz summoning her to the position. Finally, Commander Taggart and Lieutenant Laredo knelt--as Tawney had instructed, as they had trekked to the village--at Lazienne's feet. Lazarus, choking back tears, began the Departure Ritual. He poured a few drops of oil on his mother's head, as his father spoke.   
  
"May Ipthar guide your final journey, my Lifemate."  
  
"May your spirit never leave our hearts", whispered Laz.  
  
"May your presence always be felt in our Village", said Lareth.  
  
"May your wishes guide our destinies", implored Lethe. implored Lethe.  
  
It was now the others' turns to speak the phrases Tawney had taught them.  
  
"May your body be at peace", said Tawney.  
  
"May the spirits of your family be at peace," whispered Taggart.  
  
"May you now rest," concluded Laredo.  
  
With a supreme effort, Lazienne prepared to issue her dying words. These words would be a binding wish, which her family was obligated to honor, at all costs. Taking the hand of her firstborn, Lazienne also reached for Tawney Madison's hand. Holding them together, she whispered, "May the Union decreed by Ipthar never be broken...." With that, she exhaled for the final time.....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The smothering wave of loss mixed with the sounds of saddened moans and sobs that drifted from the Departure Hut. The Elders had sensed the passing of their leader's lifemate, had called their wives, and now waited outside of the hut. Once the family members and guests had exited the hut, the Elder's wives entered the hut to prepare the body.  
  
Laz, as well as every member of his family were exhausted from the strain that they had experienced when the bond severed at his mother's passing. Tawney supported her mate's body as it slumped against her, as much in grief as in weakness. Tawney noticed that Laredo was standing beside Lethe, a hand on her shoulder and murmuring something in her ear. Through the tears, the young Tev'Meckian woman managed a slight smile, then surprisingly, allowed Laredo to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Lareth and Lucien did not looked very pleased by this, but before anything could be said, one of the Elders, Liamoto, spoke.  
  
"Luchien, I have something of importance to say." Liamoto began. All of the others turned to him, to see what was so important. At that moment, T'Noseen stepped up in front of Tawney and grabbed her arm. He felt her stiffen, but did not let go.   
  
"Come with me, Human!" He demanded.   
  
Lazarus gave him a look like he thought that the Elder Tev'Meckian had gone out of his mind.   
  
"Wh-what's going on? Laz?" Tawney called, a hint of fright and confusion in her voice.   
  
Laz was so stunned, combined with the exhaustion of what had just occured in the hut, all he could do was stare in shock as T'Noseen bergan to lead Tawney away. Luckily, Taggart noticed what was happening and spoke up.   
  
"What's going on here? Where the hell do you think you're going with Tawney?"  
  
It was then that the, until then, unnoticed Katelyn spoke up. "Commander Taggart, I overheard them talking when I arrived. They want to kill her, sir!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
  
  
  
Chapter 11  
  
  
Everyone seemed frozen in time. No one moved, for they were too busy staring at Katelyn.   
  
"What?" Lethe asked, an incredulous look on her face.   
  
She turned the look to her father, who seemed to shrink away slightly from it.  
  
"I have no idea what this human is talking about." Luchien defended himself. "And, I have no idea what T'Noseen thinks he is doing. Release the woman!" Luchien ordered tersely, giving the Elder that held Tawney a warning look.  
  
T'Noseen's face had a look of pure disgust as he practically thrust Tawney away from him as if she were diseased. She stumbled and nearly fell, but Laz managed to catch her, pulling her close to his body. After assuring himself that his mate was not hurt, Lazarus turned his full attention to the Elder that had dared attempt to harm his mate.  
  
"EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" An enraged Laz snarled at T'Noseen. When the Tev'Meckian Elder did not make an attempt to explain, Laz turned to his father. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"  
  
Luchien turned to his eldest son with a pained expression on his face. "Laz, I... this is *not* what I intended-"  
  
"Not what you intended?? Lazarus' face flushed as fury rose up within him. "Just what *where* your intentions, father?" The last word left Laz's mouth in a snarl.  
  
Tawney placed a calming hand on Laz's arm. "Laz, please. I'm sure there has been some sort of misunderstanding. Now, let's just... calm down and work this out." Tawney said softly.  
  
Laz turned his attention back to his mate, giving her a reassuring smile. His fury and concern over his mate had given him a surge of adrenaline. But now, he was again feeling weak, and leaned into Tawney.  
  
*Apparently our union has upset some people,* Laz "remarked" ironically.  
  
*So it would seem, my love.* Tawney replied. Her tone was just as ironic as her mate's.  
  
Tawney returned his smile, then both turned to once again stare at Luchien. Now, Commander Peter Quincy Taggart stepped in. "We came here to pay our respects, Sir", he addressed Luchien. "We didn't come to cause any problems." He had an eerie suspicion as to the reasons for everyone's tension--although he prayed he was wrong--so he decided to set a little trap. The trap was quickly sprung.  
  
"Our laws are strict, Human!" spat T'Noseen. "Mak'Tar are not allowed to take lifemates from outside the tribe...not even among other Tev'Meckians."   
  
So those are your problems: Prejudice and Inbreeding, Taggart thought. Aloud, he said, "It was a surprise to us, as well; however, it's obvious that it's something they both wanted." As he spoke, he realized--for the first time--that he'd been wrong to feel jealousy towards Laz. In his heart, he 'released' Tawney--not that they'd ever made commitments to each other--and found his heart was now singing a new tune....  
  
"Hey man, what's up with the spears?" Laredo's question called the attention of the arguing group to Liamoto, who stood off to the side. He was holding in his hands four very lethal looking spears. Lazarus' eyes widened as he recognized just *what* kind of spears they were.  
  
"Please tell me those are for some sort of hunting trip later on." Taggart asked hopefully, although he knew better.  
  
Lazarus' eyes stared accusingly at his father. "You ordered them to kill Tawney?" His voice revealed his shock as well as his disappointment.  
  
Luchien stood before his son, a look of uncertainty crossing his face.  
How did he explain this predicament to his eldest offspring? What a mess T'Noseen had made of this. Of all the incompetent... He could have at least collected the Human in a more discreet manner. Now... now it was up to him to explain the Elder's actions. At first, Luchien thought of lying. Of saying he had nothing to do with the plan. But one look at his daughter's stricken face wiped that option from his mind immediately. Heaving a deep sigh, Luchien met his son's accusing glare, and spoke.  
  
"My son, I do not know how... No, that is not correct. I do know, I just cannot accept that you are bonded to someone of another species. A Human of all things! It has never *ever* been done before. I cannot--will not accept this."  
  
"Nor will I", echoed Lareth.  
  
"Wait a minute!" This exclaimation, surprisingly, came from Laredo. "What about the decree? I mean, didn't Dr. Lazarus' mom bless their bond before she passed... or did I just miss something?"  
  
"That's right, she did!" Taggart exclaimed. Everyone looked at him then. "I mean, I don't know about you guys, but even on Earth a dying person's last wish is usually honored." He finished frankly.  
  
Tawney knew for a *fact* that it was law on Tev'Meck that when someone died, their last request was fulfilled no matter what. That was why she had been so sure that everything was going to be all right when they had exited the hut. They had to accept her now, didn't they?  
  
At that moment, the Elders' wives exited the Departure Hut to finish setting up for the ceremony. M'ianne, Liamoto's wife, noticed her husband standing there, ceremonial spears in hand. She looked curiously from Liamoto to the Human visitors and instantly knew something was wrong.   
  
M'ianne looked again: One of the visitors was a woman...and she was caring for Laz as a lifemate would!! *Now* she understood: Liamoto was going to oversee the death of this woman...if not perform the deed himself. M'ianne's thoughts at that moment were so venomous, that Liamoto was gripped by a tremor of terror. As the spears clattered to the ground, all eyes were turned upon him.  
  
T'Noseen's wife, L'Riss, now looked at her husband, for he and Liamoto had a history of parallel thinking; they ususally voted the same way on Village matters. *And, you...?* she "asked". Her husband's gaze quickly dropped to the ground.  
  
Luchien took in the way the Elder Tev'Meckians cowered from their mates and knew that they would *not* be disposing of the Human female.   
*Don't be so sure, Father.* Luchien shot a look at Lareth who had been the one to communicate with him through the bond.   
  
*What do you mean?*   
  
*We may not be able to rid ourselves of the Human in the way we had planned. But... there is another way.*   
  
Luchien listened as his devious son filled him in on the details. Slowly, a smirk appeared on the father's face. *Perfect.*  
  
After a moment, Luchien turned back to Laz and his friends. "My son, please believe me when I say that I do this for your own good. My mate has blessed this union, but she did so in her dying moments, not having time to size up this foreigner that has taken the coveted position as your mate. How are we to know that she is well suited to be mated to a true Mak'Tar, hmm?"  
  
Lazarus pulled Tawney tighter to his side and stated. "She is well suited, father."  
  
An eyebrow arched in question. "Are you so sure? I believe... a demonstration is in order, to prove how inept this female is."  
Luchien laid out the bait, knowing that Lazarus would be more likely than not to take it.   
  
"What do you have in mind, father? I'm positive Tawney's skills will be most satisfactory to you."  
  
A smile came over Luchien's features that caused Lazarus to suspect that he had just done a very foolish thing. That suspicion was confirmed at Luchien's next words.   
  
"I propose.... a duel. To prove that this Human, if the call arises, is indeed skilled enough to protect her mate."  
  
"Oh, is *that* all?" Taggart's voice interrupted. "Tawney's the best with a phazor of anybody onboard the Protector." Taggart bragged, a smug smile on his face.  
  
"Interesting. Too bad it will not be *that* kind of a duel." Luchien's voice held a hint of amusement.  
  
The smug smile faded as Luchien's words struck home. "What? What do you mean 'not that kind of duel'? What kind of duel is it, then?" Taggart's voice held a rising bit of panic.  
  
Lazarus looked at the Commander. "Peter, in the Mak'Tar culture, if a life mate is suspect of not being able to protect their mate, then they are subjected to participate in a duel to prove themselves worthy."   
Taggart nodded. "Yeah, I understand that. What's so different about it though?"   
  
Lazarus sighed heavily and looked at Tawney. She knew, he could tell. Her study of the Mak'Tar cultures had covered this particular ritual. Keeping his eyes locked with Tawney's Lazarus answered Taggart's question.   
  
"The duel, Peter......is to the death."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: If you want it, just ask.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 12  
  
  
  
"The duel, Peter......is to the death."  
  
The silence immediately following Laz's revelation was deafening. Taggart and Laredo were stunned speechless by the tone of the Tev'Meckian's voice. By the look in his eyes, he meant to allow this to happen.  
  
"No!" The stunned silence was broken, surprisingly, by Katelyn. She had remained silent after she had informed the others of the Tev'Meckian Elders' intentions. "This is insane, Peter. You cannot allow this!" Her panic-tinged words reflected the look in her eyes.  
  
Taggart overcame the shock then and locked eyes with Katelyn, giving her a reassuring look, then turned to glare at Luchien and Lareth.  
  
"If you think that we're going to sit back and let this happen, then you're crazy. We came here for Laz to see his mother one last time. We did *not* come here for my Lieutenant to duel to the death! I'm not-"  
  
Taggart's protests were cut short when he felt someone grab his arm gently. He turned to see Tawney standing beside him, a steely look of determination in her eyes.  
  
"Peter." Her voice was as determined as her eyes looked. "It's all right, this has to be. I know you don't understand, but I'm glad I've got to do this. Maybe now I can prove to *them*," Tawney nodded toward Luchien and Lareth, indicating which 'them' she meant. "That Laz and I are meant to be." Turning back to face Taggart, Tawney added softly. "I can do this, Peter."  
  
Taggart's body relaxed a bit then and he squeezed the hand that still rested on his arm for a second before nodding. Taggart then looked at Laz. The Tev'Meckian's body was relaxed and his previous words had made it seem he approved of the situation, but Taggart could tell by the clenching and unclenching of Laz's fists that this wasn't entirely true. But there wasn't anything that could be done. It was his clan's way and he could not go against it. Tawney returned to Laz's side and he placed an arm around her waist, pulling her close.  
  
*Are you entirely sure, love?* Laz 'asked'.  
  
*Yes, darling.* The answer came immediately, serving to put Laz at ease.  
  
He smiled at her then, knowing that he indeed had a true mate. To face a challenge such as this with such confidence, she could be no less than devoted, heart and soul.  
  
"We shall set a time for the challenge after the Departure Ceremony is complete." Luchien spoke with such smugness in his voice that it was grating on the crew's nerves. "Also, as head Elder, I do reserve the right to choose the opponent."  
  
Although Laz's facial expression did not change, Tawney could practically feel him grimace as he muttered through the bond. *I should have known.* His next comment was directed at Tawney. *I don't like this. I know my father, and he is entirely too smug about this.*  
  
Tawney had gotten a similar feeling. Luchien was way too smug about this challenge. It was like he knew something that they didn't. *Well, he does know something we don't. Namely, the identity of my opponent.* She thought to herself, unknowingly transmitting it to Laz, who prevented the idle thought from reaching his family.  
  
*You will have to be taught how to control your thoughts, Love*, Laz half-scolded.   
  
Realizing he'd kept her thoughts a secret, Tawney gave in to a bit of fear. *If I'm even around long enough to learn...*, she started.   
  
*You will be!* Laz reassured her. *We'll figure something out....*  
  
"So, when does this so called duel take place?" Taggart asked. His voice held a hint of annoyance.  
  
"It shall be conducted in seven suns, after the completion of the Mourning Revel." Luchien responded, he looked over at Katelyn with a look that made the young Ensign squirm uncomfortably. "You are invited to stay with your friends, if you wish. I am sure that your support would be appreciated."  
  
Not knowing how to respond, Katelyn looked to Taggart. He nodded slightly and Katelyn sighed, relieved. "Thank you, I would be honored to stay and support Dr. Lazarus."  
  
Laz and Tawney each felt warning signals sounding, at this exchange. Moreover, Lethe was looking at Laredo, as if she were trying to communicate mentally with him. She did not succeed at this; however, her face told the Protector's helmsman all he needed to know...and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.  
  
Katelyn's reply must have pleased Luchien because he got a peculiar gleam in his eyes and he smiled while he said, "Very good. Lethe, show our guests where they shall be staying until the end of the Revel."  
  
Lethe stared a moment at her father, then nodded reluctantly. "If you will all follow me, please."  
  
The group fell into step behind Lethe as she led the way through the village. They passed many other Tev'Meckians who watched the visitors pass in curiosity. They recognized Lazarus, but had no idea why the humans felt the need to be here at such a personal time. Finally, Lethe reached a hut close to the center of the villiage, and stopped outside it's entrance. Lareth noticed where they had stopped and frowned at his sister.   
  
*Lethe, just what do you think you are doing?* The scolding tone of his 'voice' did not deter Lethe in the least. In fact, he actually heard her giggling in his head.   
  
*Why brother dearest, you know it is custom for us to house visitors. And as Laz has no hut of his own, it is up to you to shelter the human males.*  
  
*And the females?* Lareth's question caused another fit of giggles to erupt from his sister.   
  
*I will house them, of course. It will be good for them. We can give them instructions on what is and what is not appropriate during a Mourning Revel.* Lethe pointed out to her brother.  
  
*All right, you win. I'll house the Humans. But I don't have to like it.*   
  
Lareth was not in the least bit pleased by this turn of events, but Lethe felt it served him right for the way he had been acting. He didn't even know these humans and yet he was ready to pass judgement on them. And then there was the matter of their brother being mated to one of the females. It was undocumented for sure, but forbidden? She did not recall it ever being said that a Tev'Meckian could not mate outside of his or her species. It had just never happened. There had never been the urge to bond with someone of a different ethic background.....until now, at least.  
  
"All right, Commander, Laredo, you will be staying here with Laz and Lareth, until the end of the Revel. Tawney, you and your female friend here shall be staying with me in my hut." Lethe spoke to the group that stood around her. The two males looked as if they were about to protest, but with a look from Tawney simply nodded instead. "Very well then, you may go freshen up for the conclusion to the Departure Ceremony."  
  
"Shouldn't I change clothes?" Ensign Wingate asked. She was still in uniform, and felt awkward, and out of place.  
  
"That would be best", Lethe replied, grateful that the ensign respected Mak'Tar customs. "I have some spare robes...This way, please."   
  
She then led the young female to another area. Lethe led them a few meters away from Lareth's hut to her own and motioned for the two women to follow her inside. Once they had entered, Tawney felt as if a huge weight had been lifted, although temporarily, from her shoulders. The atmosphere in the hut was wholey inviting and friendly. Lethe went to an antique looking chest that sat off to one side of the hut. She rummaged around inside of the chest for a moment, pulling out some spare robes for Katelyn. Then, pausing a second as if coming to a decision, Lethe pulled out another robe. This one was more elaborate and beautiful, drastically unlike the one Tawney had on. Turning back to the Earthlings Lethe smiled gently.   
  
"This robe belonged to my mother." She revealed. "It was for special occasions, and I am sure that she would have wanted Laz's lifemate to wear it for the Mourning Revel."  
  
She then handed the precious robe to a very shocked Tawney.  
  
"I can't...", she began.  
  
"Please do", requested a somber, but serious Lethe. "It would mean so much to me...and Lazarus."  
  
"I suppose that settles it!" Ensign Wingate remarked, in a tone that managed to lighten the atmosphere.   
  
The three women shared a smile, before Lethe showed Katelyn where she could change clothes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lareth sat in his hut, staring death glares at the two human males that had been forced upon him, by his own kind's customs of all things. He was currently watching the two Humans mutter amongst themselves. He did not trust these Humans and he could not comprehend how Ipthar had deemed it suitable to bond Lazarus with one of them. The female was the worst, with all that long flowing hair.   
  
*It must get in the way constantly.* He thought ruthlessly. Lazarus had left a shortly after seeing the Humans settled. He had duties to perform as eldest son, although Lareth did not see why he bothered, seeing as how his brother had run off all those years before. *He abandoned these duties then, why does he feel the need to perform them now?*  
  
Across the hut, completely oblivious to the spiteful thoughts of their host, Taggart and Laredo were deep in discussion over the turn of events this visit had taken.  
  
"Man, I'm telling you, I don't like this." Laredo muttered as he faced Taggart.  
  
"Neither do I, Laredo", Taggart responded, "but right now, I can't think of any way out of this."   
  
Laredo gave the Commander an amused look, mentally debating... should he or shouldn't he? Laredo grinned. "Never give up, never surrender, Commander."  
  
Commander Peter Quincy Taggart turned ten shades of red in as many seconds, causing Laredo to forget the solemnity of the situation in a fit of laughter.   
  
"Wait 'til we get back!" Taggart half-threatened the young helmsman. He started to remove his ceremonial robe; however, a new fit of laughter seized Laredo. Remembering all the times Dr. Lazarus had chided him about being shirtless, Taggart realized they didn't have any spare clothes. "Uh...Lareth", he began, hesitantly. "Is there something else--a different kind of robe--that we need to change into, or can we have our uniforms sent down here, until the next part of the Ceremony?"  
  
Lareth looked at the Humans with a slight look of disgust. "The next part of the Mourning Revel will begin at dusk. I believe it would be acceptable for you to wear your 'uniforms' until then." The word uniform left Lareth's mouth as if it were a loathsome term.  
  
Laredo and Taggart exchanged glances when they heard the tone of Lareth's voice. Oh yeah, they definitely didn't like this.  
  
"He's up to something...and I don't like it!" Taggart whispered, as the Tev'Meckian left them. Suddenly, Taggart remembered how Laz's brother had been treating Tawney. He could tell that Laredo was remembering, as well....  
  
"I think we should get Ensign Wingate to keep an eye on Lt. Madison, don't you Commander?" Laredo asked.  
  
"Yeah, Laredo...we'll have to have someone keep an eye out for Lieutenant Madison. I suppose Ensign Wingate is the best choice...." *Of course, Laz's sister--was Lethe her name?--seemed to take to Tawney right off*, Taggart reflected. *Plus, Laz's dad was looking at Tawney AND Katelyn rather strangely!* he now realized. *Maybe we can get LETHE to keep an eye on both of them...if Luchien hasn't already taken care of that!*  
  
Taggart felt sorry for the Tev'Meckian who had just lost his wife and lifemate...however, alarms were going off, warning him not to trust the man!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: If you want it, just ask.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 13  
  
  
Tawney Madison sat in Lethe's hut with Katelyn Wingate as they ate their evening meal. Since Lethe herself was eating a bowl of Kep'Mok Bloodtick soup, she did not want her guests to be left out. So she had prepared a salad for the women made from various edible plants native of Tev'Meck. Tawney and Katelyn had thanked Lethe, telling her how thoughtful it was for her to have thought of them. It was almost time for the continuation of the Mourning Revel and the Ensign and Lieutenant still had no idea what was expected of them. Tawney had hoped that Laz would come by and inform her if she were to have a particular task to perform. But she hadn't seen him since they had left the men at Lareth's hut.  
  
After they had finished eating, Lethe told Tawney it was time to prepare for the Revel. She was to don their mother's robe and Lethe asked if she could bind her hair in some way, since Tawney's was freely flowing, to show respect for the departed. Tawney smiled warmly and told her she would love for Lethe to fix her hair.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A short distance away, in Lareth's hut, Commander Taggart and Laredo watched as Lareth ate his own bowl of soup. He had not offered the two humans anything other than the soup, knowing they would refuse it.   
  
*Well, too bad for them.* He thought.  
  
Just then, Lazarus came back from his task to eat and prepare for the Revel. Upon seeing that his friends had not been offered anything to eat, his eyes narrowed accusingly at his brother.  
  
*Our mother would be ashamed of you, Lareth...and you know it!!* Laz shot at his brother.  
  
Lareth returned his older brother's glare. *Oh come off it Lazarus.*   
  
*I suppose you're going to try and convince me they've already eaten?* came the wry question.  
  
*Not at all brother, It is not as if I were going to starve the pathetic things.* Lareth 'sneered'.  
  
*They are my friends, and will be treated as such!* Lazarus 'exploded'. *Furthermore, Tawney Madison is my lifemate...whether you like it or not!!*  
  
Taggart glanced at Laredo. The Commander had read the body language of the two Tev'Meckians and came to the conclusion that it would most likely be best if they were to leave the hut. Immediately. Nodding toward the entrance, he indicated that they should slip out. Laredo nodded in agreement and silently followed Taggart as they left the hut.  
Not noticing as the two humans left, the brothers continued to face off.  
  
"Man! You don't need to be telepathic to know what those two were arguin' about!" Laredo said, when they were out of earshot.  
  
Inside the hut, the argument began to heat up.  
  
*You have the nerve to return here and bring a *human* female as your mate? How dare you disgrace this family like that!* Lareth rose from his seat bringing himself eye to eye with Lazarus.  
  
*You and Lethe have just recently reached the Age of Awareness*, Lazarus began, referring to the fact that his younger siblings had reached sexual maturity. *When your souls tell you that you found your Lifemates, you and Lethe will respond accordingly...just as I did.* He sighed. *Yes, I know that there have never been any interplanetary Bondings. When I first felt the Mak'Tar Mating Urge--and realized it was for Tawney--I was in denial for a month, from the shock. Unusual circumstances finally led Tawney to confess that she'd had feelings for me...for an even longer period of time. One day, you'll understand....*  
  
Lareth looked at Lazarus in disbelief. He could not comprehend what his brother was telling him. Could he and the Human truly be lifemates? Lareth had practically convinced himself that there had been some sort of mistake or miscalculation. Could it be possible......   
  
*NO!* Lareth bucked against the uncertainty. *There is nothing to understand, brother. And after seven suns, there will be nothing to worry about as well.*  
  
Realizing Lareth was referring to the upcoming duel, Lazarus tried to learn more; however, Lareth had "shut down" his link with his older brother...and, when Lazarus tried to "ask" his father for details, he found that link closed to him as well. He toyed with the idea of "contacting" Lethe, but realized she would be busy tending to his lifemate, and Ensign Wingate, feeding them....  
  
Lazarus turned quickly; he'd just now missed Taggart and Laredo. "I'll start a salad for them", he spoke sharply to Lareth. "*You* find them, and bring them back in!" he demanded...thus serving his brother a large slice of humble pie, to go with his soup.  
  
Lareth shot his brother one last glaring look before stalking out of the hut in search of the humans. Careful to shield his thoughts from his brother, Lareth began muttering to himself.  
  
"Unusual circumstances, he says. I'll understand one day, he says. By Grapthar's hammer I'll understand!"  
  
Lareth continued on his tirade until he came upon the two humans. They had not wandered far, not being familiar with their surroundings, and so he found them a few yards from the hut with their backs to him.  
  
"Humans, my brother is preparing you a meal and he wishes for you to return so that you may eat it." Lareth made sure they could read between the lines. He did not want them in his hut.  
  
Taggart and Laredo looked at one another. After a moment, they both shrugged and proceeded to follow the rather hostile Tev'Meckian back to the hut.  
  
Inside the hut, as Lazarus began preparing a salad, he felt a pang of sorrow: This salad had been his mother's favorite. Reflexively, he reached out for Tawney, and felt her love once again. Tears began rolling down his face. Hearing the others re-entering, he quickly tried to wipe the telltale streaks from his face. Taggart's hand on his shoulder told Lazarus he was not quick enough.  
  
"Hey Laz, ol' buddy, you okay?" Taggart spoke lowly enough so as not to draw Laredo or Lareth's attention.  
  
"Yes, Peter...", Lazarus began, unconvincingly. Turning away from his commanding officer, Laz's hand accidentally hit the salad bowl in front of him. He grabbed the bowl, barely rescuing the humans' meal. "I...suppose...not", Laz confessed, his shoulders now shaking, as he fought the sobs which threatened to claim him.  
  
Taggart looked at his Chief Advisor and long time friend. "Is there anything I can do?" The Commander asked with a bit of worry. He never quite knew what to do when it came to emotional situations. Give him action and dangerous situations, but this.... this wasn't his thing. "Maybe I should go get Tawney?"  
  
"No", the Tev'Meckian gasped through his tears. "I'll be all right in a bit. Here; take this in, and I'll join you shortly." While he *did* need to feel Tawney's loving arms, he would console himself with her loving thoughts. As Laz's mind touched Tawney's, it also found Lethe's. *Thank you for accepting her*, he "told" his sister, his heart overflowing.  
  
*What are sisters for?* The younger sibling teased, then became serious. *You are welcome, my brother.* She 'said'.  
  
Fortified by the knowledge that his and Tawney's union was not universally condemned among his people, Lazarus wiped his face, then went to the dining area, to join his shipmates and brother.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Back in Lethe's hut, the young Tev'Meckian woman let out a sad sigh. It hurt her to feel her brother's pain and knowing that it was his and her own clan, their own *family* causing it was next to unbearable. Tawney, who had been sitting beside Lethe, glanced over at her hostess when she heard the sigh.   
  
"I'm truly sorry about all of this. I wish there was something I could do to make it better." Tawney said sincerely.  
  
"This would be so much harder on Lazarus if he had no Lifemate at all", Lethe replied sadly. As Lazarus had reminded Lareth, the family twins had recently reached the Age of Awareness. Lethe--who, like Lareth, had not yet identified a Lifemate--was feeling an extra measure of loneliness. As she reflected on this, she realized that, beyond his bigotry, Lareth was lashing out at Lazarus in jealousy. Changing the subject, she remarked to Tawney, "I know--at least I think I know--how Lazarus knew you were to be his Lifemate. May I ask how...?" She stopped, blushing, as she realized that Katelyn was still with them.  
  
Tawney smiled Lethe for a moment. "Well... At first I just thought it was an infatuation, we humans call it a crush. I was fascinated by his customs and especially him. I thought he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. And he was caring and brave. The perfect man to fall in love with. At first, I didn't think there was a way for us to ever be together, that he would never see me as I saw him. But I was wrong." Tawney's smile widened considerably. "Boy was I wrong."  
  
Lethe felt her interest peak. "What happened?" She asked.  
  
"Well, it's kind of hard to put to words...." Tawney began, not quite sure how to explain the miraculous event that had led to her and Laz confessing their feelings.  
  
Lethe smiled kindly. "You don't have to put it to words." The young Tev'Meckian said. "Just...open your mind to the bond."  
  
Tawney returned the smile and laughed lightly when she confessed that she had yet to learn how to shield her thoughts and if she so wanted, Lethe could have already delved into her mind.  
  
"That is against our beliefs...even with others of our own race", Lethe explained, somberly.  
  
"Really?" Tawney asked, surprised by this fact, as she remembered the incident with Lazarus' brother Lareth.  
  
"Yes." Lethe replied quietly. The tone of her voice drew even Katelyn's attention. It was a grave one. "It is an atrocious thing to force one's mind into another's, almost as horrible as forcing one's thoughts on another. An act that is punishable if perpetrated."  
  
"Lieutenant?"   
  
Even without telepathic abilities, Katelyn's feminine intuition--along with Tawney's body language--had alerted her to the terrible truth: Tawney had already experienced this atrocious act. The blonde woman's flush of shame also revealed this to her hostess...her sister-in-law. The expression on Lethe's face ranged variously. From confusion, to shock and then finally settled into outright fury.   
  
The Tev'Meckian remained quiet for a moment, then softly asked. "May I?"  
  
Tawney bowed her head as she murmured her permission, and allowed Lethe to initiate the bond and enter her thoughts and memories.  
  
With the memory of Lareth's invasion still somewhat fresh, Tawney couldn't help but flinch slightly, as Lethe's mind touched hers.   
*Gently, Sister...gently*, came the soothing thoughts of the Tev'Meckian woman. As Tawney relaxed under the gentle "touch", her body slumped slightly. Seeing this, Ensign Wingate sat down.  
  
The first memory Tawney shared was her first meeting with Dr. Lazarus. Lethe was pleased to learn that Tawney's initial reaction had been open-mindedness. True, there was curiosity about this man from another planet; that was expected. However, there was none of the revulsion that she felt from her twin, which revealed his thoughts about the humans.   
  
Next, Lethe 'viewed' all of the many times her older brother had saved Tawney, and the other members of The Protector. With each rescue, Lethe could feel Tawney's increasing admiration for Laz, culminating in the incident which Tawney had recently revealed to Laz...when her feelings for him blossomed into love. An amused Lethe felt Tawney shift uncomfortably, as she now remembered Mottera. Lethe actually laughed at the memory of Laz's hand on Tawney's, before they Digitized down to the planet.   
  
*I'll have to remember that one!* she teased.  
  
*Only if you give me some 'ammunition' in return!* Tawney giggled. She'd forgotten about the upcoming duel--as Lethe had hoped she would--and was wanting to learn some things that would give her an upper hand over her lifemate.  
  
*Deal!!* affirmed Lethe. She then pressed on....  
  
All the time Tawney lay in the Medical Quarters, fighting for her life, the entire Medical and Science Staffs were searching desperately for the key to saving her. Finally, Laz--of all people--found the missing clue, in notes left behind by the first, ill-fated Motteran landing party: Phygotaxis Oxitosis. The antibody that the landing party had run out of--thus making them easy prey for the same virus that Tawney was fighting--had also become active in Laz's bloodstream, when the Mak'Tar Mating Urge told him that Tawney was his intended lifemate.....  
  
Finally, Lethe felt; although second hand, the experience of Tawney and Lazarus' bonding. The exquisite feeling of pure love and happiness, it was almost too much for Lethe to bear, and tears of joy sprang to her eyes as the emotions washed over her. Lethe began withdrawing her mind, but before she had accomplished it she felt something that halted her retreat.  
  
*TELL ME, HUMAN.*   
  
The sound of her twin's voice in Tawney's mind, and the tone it was using made Lethe flinch inwardly. Lethe was again shocked and angered that her brother would dare do this to anyone, especially his brother's lifemate.  
  
*Lareth, you fool!!* Lethe thought to herself, not sharing this with Tawney...for she knew the conseqences her twin would face, when this horrible transgression was revealed to the Village Elders. *What have you done?!*  
  
Withdrawing her mind gently, Lethe gathered a now sobbing Tawney into her arms as a concerned Katelyn looked on. Knowing that Tawney could not do so herself, Lethe used her sibling bond to effectively block Tawney's distress from Lazarus. The last thing her poor brother needed was this alarming news thrust upon him on top of everything else.  
  
*Hopefully, this mess will be straightened out*, Lethe reflected, trying to think of a way out of the duel her father was insisting on, *then, the wives of the Elders can instruct Tawney on using her mental bond...and other things....*   
  
A smile crossed her face, as she remembered the one weakness of her brothers--a certain spot on the back of the neck of each--and how neither one could refuse the "wishes" of someone who was stroking that spot. Tawney noticed the smile and wondered at it. Lethe giggled at the look of curiosity on her brother's lifemate's face.   
  
"Later." She simply said, and Tawney nodded, knowing that Lethe would let her in on the secret when the time was right.  
  
"It's almost dusk." Katelyn stated, noticing the sunlight that had been coming through the window was fading.  
  
"We best prepare ourselves then." Lethe stated, rising to her feet and moving to gather the robes so that she and the other two women could don them.  
  
The mood in Lethe's hut had again turned somber, as the three stepped out, preparing to join the men in the center of the village, in which lay a large "icehouse". Normally, this building was used to preserve freshly-killed meat, but Lethe had explained that it was also used during Departure Ceremonies. Lethe had said this would be a silent vigil: The family members and honored visitors--namely, Laz's crewmates--would sit outside the building, with Lazienne's body inside. During the night, anyone coming from outside the village would be greeted with silent hugs. Afterwards, Laz would take them to special "visitors'" huts.   
  
As the three women approached the center, Tawney's steps began to falter as she began to grow nervous at the prospect of seeing Laz's father and brother again. Lethe felt Tawney's hesitance and reached out, taking Tawney's hand in her own and giving it a reassuring squeeze.  
  
Somehow knowing that her thoughts were being shielded by Lethe, Tawney "asked" her, *Will there be any trouble with my wearing your mother's robes?*  
  
*I do not believe my brother would be so foolish as to go against tradition during the Mourning Revel.* Lethe replied, secretly hoping that she was right.  
  
Tawney proceeded, although a bit apprehensively, on to where the men waited for them along with the Elders. Deliberately avoiding the gaze of the others, Tawney strode purposefully to Laz.   
  
"How are you holding up?" she asked aloud.  
  
"Better....now that you're here." Laz whispered, taking Tawney's hand in his own. "It is hard, and this night will be harder...but I believe I can manage now," Lazarus then sent a message to Lethe: *Thank you, Sister, for letting my Lifemate wear Mother's robes.*  
  
For a moment Lareth looked to be about to speak, but after a glare from Lethe, instead turned to his father. Luchien locked eyes with his youngest son then turned to eye the robe that Tawney wore with a bit of malice. Before he could utter a word though, Laz's voice broke in.   
  
"Peter, did you know it is customary for the robes of the deceased to be worn by the eldest offspring's Lifemate?"   
  
Although the question was directed at Taggart, Lazarus' eyes were firmly locked on his father. For a moment father and son faced off, but the tension was broken thankfully when the first of the 'out-of-towners' arrived. The group that had arrived was from another clan whose village was not very far away. The silent hugs were exchanged, and Laz left Tawney in the care of Laredo and Taggart as he led the visitors to their huts.  
  
When he returned, he noticed that Katelyn had moved to stand on the opposite side of Tawney. Not wanting to be rude, Lazarus took up a position on the opposite side of Taggart, noticing in slight amusement, that Lethe had chosen to stand beside Laredo. It continued this way; a group arriving, exchanging silent hugs and being led away by Lazarus for countless hours. Taggart and Laredo looked to be getting a bit tired, but refused to leave Tawney's side.  
  
  
Among the group, Tawney noticed a particularly attractive Tev'Meckian woman, who seemed unable to take her eyes off of Laz as hugs were exchanged. When it came time for the woman to embrace Laz, she practically molded her body to Tawney's Lifemate. At the sight of this, a wave of jealousy engulfed Tawney, just as she heard a whisper in her mind. The Tev'Meckian woman was communicating to Laz telepathically.  
  
*Laz, my love, I am truly sorry about your mother.*  
  
Tawney started at hearing the woman use the endearment in reference to Lazarus. She was even more surprised when she felt confusion sweep through Lazarus....right before shutting down his link to Tawney, blocking off anything else that the Tev'Meckian woman or Laz himself would have said. Not wanting to break the silence--not even mentally--Tawney did the next best thing: She squeezed Lethe's hand, letting her know that something was wrong...dreadfully wrong. Her fears were confirmed when she saw a look of triumph on Luchien's face.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	14. Chapter 14

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: If you want it, just ask.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 14  
  
  
  
*What the devil is going on here?!*  
  
Lethe could tell through the link that Tawney was upset. Taking Tawney's hand into her own, Lethe gave it a reassuring squeeze while simultaneously responding through the link.  
  
*Later.*  
  
Lethe knew that it did very little to settle Tawney's worries, but it was the best she could do during the Silent Vigil. Both women watched as Lazarus eventually untangled himself from the other woman's embrace and proceeded to lead the group away to their huts.  
  
  
Glancing around, Tawney noticed that Taggart and Laredo were also still reeling from the obvious display of affection. She couldn't help but be amused at Laredo's reaction: He looked like he'd wanted to jump in, and pull them apart. She didn't know that Laredo had practically already jumped the Commander, for his open jealousy. Lt. Madison's spirits fell, however, when she saw Luchien and Lareth: Laz's father, especially, looked more than pleased at this turn of events.  
  
Finally, it was time for the vigil to come to a close. Not able to stand it, Tawney dragged Lethe back to their hut, Katelyn following quietly behind. Once inside, Tawney began pacing. She didn't want to show how much the sight of Lazarus embracing the other woman had bothered her, but she just couldn't seem to help it. If this had happened on board The Protector, with another human, Ensign Wingate would have immediately offered some sort of assistance. However, on a different planet, and amidst different customs and situations, she was helpless. She waited for the outburst she was certain would come.  
  
Tawney paced for a moment, then abruptly stopped, turning back to face Lethe. "Please tell me who that woman was?"  
  
"That was L'Tisha, T'Noseen's niece." Lethe's reply surprised Tawney.  
  
"T'Noseen? Wasn't he one of the Elders we saw earlier?" Katelyn now asked. At Lethe's nod, she continued, "But, if she's his neice, why doesn't she live in your village?"   
  
"L'Tisha left with her family and a group of others two seasons ago to begin their own village. It was during a time when resources were scarce, and her father thought it would be best." Lethe explained.  
  
"Is she...as old as you are?" Tawney asked, delicately.  
  
"Nay sister, she is near the same age as Lazarus."  
  
Tawney's shoulders slumped a bit dejectedly. "What is she to Laz?" She whispered.  
  
"Not as much as she'd like to be", Lethe confided. "L'Tisha was a playmate of ours, when we were all younger. Of course, since she's older, she bossed me--and Lareth--around a lot."   
  
Katelyn actually chuckled at this, and Tawney couldn't completely suppress a smile.   
  
"My father and T'Noseen had hoped--when she and Laz reached the Age of Awareness--that Ipthar would see fit to bless them with the Mak'Tar Mating Urge for each other...I'm glad *that* didn't happen: You're not bossy at all!" Lethe teased Tawney.  
  
Tawney's smile broke out completely then and she laughed lightly. "Thank you, Lethe. I like you too."  
  
"Well, now that *that's* settled", Katelyn said, getting laughs from both women, "what comes...." She suddenly yawned. "...next?"  
  
Lethe smiled at the other human. "Well, it is awhile before the Revel continues. If you would like, you may rest and I will come for you when it is time."  
  
"That would be nice, Lethe. We could really use the rest." Tawney replied, trying to stifle her own yawn.  
  
Lethe helped the women to lay out their bedding and then, once they were settled, turned to leave the hut. She needed to have a little talk with her big brother.  
  
Lazarus stood beside the hut that held the body of his mother. Luchien and Lareth remained, as was tradition. Taggart and Laredo had remained as well, although for quite different reasons.  
  
"Who do you suppose the broad was?" Laredo whispered to the Commander.  
  
"Whoever she is, she sure seems to know our Dr. Lazarus pretty well", Taggart replied.  
  
"Uh huh, and he seemed to know her pretty well, too." The helmsman stated. "I wonder what Tawney thinks about it."  
  
"Judging from the way she left here, and the quiet way she was talking...Well, let's just say that if we weren't here for such a sad reason, the fur would already be flying!" Taggart spoke quietly, keeping an eye on the Tev'Meckians.  
  
Laredo noticed the direction the Commander was looking and turned to see Lareth and his father seemingly deep in discussion, their heads drawn close together. "Wonder what they're up to?"  
  
"Probably trying to decide how long Tawney can last against What's-Her-Name", Taggart speculated. "Boy, are they gonna be surprised!" Little did The Protector's Commander know what surprise was in store for *him*.  
  
Lazarus had not made an attempt to speak with his friends since his return. In fact, he seemed lost in thought and had not noticed his father and brother deep in discussion. Nor did he notice the approaching form of L'Tisha. Slipping up behind Laz, the Tev'Meckian woman brought her hands up and around to cover his eyes, while on tiptoe she whispered in his ear, "Guess who?"  
  
"L'Tisha, this is neither the time nor the place for games!" Lazarus snapped. "My mother...", he stopped, choking on unshed tears, then continued more softly, "My mother is dead. We have the pyre to set up for tomorrow, and then several more days of formalities...You know that as well as I do...."  
  
"Of course, I do, dear heart; that is why I am here", L'Tisha purred, moving her hands from Laz's eyes and began massaging his shoulders. "I am here to help you."  
  
"L'Tisha...please!!" Lazarus tried to disentangle himself, without attracting too much attention, either from his family, or his shipmates. "My Lifemate will not understand this...."  
  
L'Tisha frowned. She had not been pleased in the least when Lazarus had informed her earlier that he had taken a Lifemate. But then he had told her the identity of the Lifemate: a human. L'Tisha had resolved herself to make Lazarus see reason. A Mak'Tar was destined to be Lifemated with a Mak'Tar, not a silly human. "And what is so difficult to understand? Is she so simple-minded that she could not see that we are friends?"  
  
"She will see that *you*, at least, want to be *more* than 'friends'. However, I felt the Mak'Tar Mating Urge for *her*...and when I responded to it, I found out she had similar feelings for me." Lazarus paused. "I know you are disappointed--so are my father and brother--but Ipthar has decreed it to be so...and, not only has my sister blessed our Union, my mother...." Laz swallowed, hard, and blinked back tears, grateful for the cover of night. "My mother's Dying Wish was that Tawney and I not be separated."  
  
L'Tisha removed her hands from Lazarus' shoulders, taking a step back as she crossed her arms and replied. "Why, Laz, I do not know what you mean. You're friendship is precious to me. I would not dare risk it."  
  
Just then, Lethe came up to stand beside her brother.  
  
"L'Tisha, I thought you would be with your family...How are they, by the way?" Lethe's words were civil enough, but she sent her older brother a near-venomous look. *What in Ipthar's name are you doing?* she "said". *You should be resting--we all should--in preparation for the rest of the Revel.*  
  
*Yes, we were just about to do that. Would you mind informing Commander Taggart and Laredo? They could use the rest.* Lazarus said as he sent his sister an almost grateful smile.  
  
*Of course...and I'm sorry I doubted you.* Lethe smiled sheepishly at her brother; she should have known that his dedication to the beliefs of his people would mean that he would never be disloyal to his Lifemate.   
  
Lethe excused herself, and went to inform the visitors from The Protector; she also wanted to see whether her father and brother had retired. Lethe approached the two humans who looked as if they would collapse from exhation at any moment.   
  
"Commander Taggart."   
  
Lethe's voice trembled a bit due to the nervousness she felt when around her brother's male friends. She didn't quite understand why she felt that way. She had no problems when around Tawney and even Katelyn.  
Taggart's head, which had been drooping just a bit, jerked up in an instant at the sound of Lethe's voice.   
  
"Wha- Oh, Lethe, hey."  
  
Laredo had to hide a snicker behind his hand at the sight of Commander Taggart trying to act as if he hadn't been practically asleep just a second before. Lethe, herself, had to restrain a smirked as she spoke.   
  
"You both should retire to Lareth's hut now for rest. The Revel shall continue at the noon time."  
  
Both men could barely hide their relief at hearing this news, and Lethe offered to walk the men back to the hut. Totally ignoring the glares from her father and twin brother, Lethe turned, to lead the way back to Lareth's hut. They had only gone a few steps when Laredo, walking between his hostess and his Commander, stumbled on a rock. As fast as Taggart reacted, Lethe reacted even faster. She caught the helmsman before his knees hit the ground...and felt her heart race.   
  
*What is happening to me?* she wondered.  
  
Laredo was wondering the same thing himself. The moment that Lethe had caught him, an unexplainable feeling had washed over him. He had never felt anything like it before, and was almost certain he would again.  
Nearly stumbling himself, Taggart helped Laredo regain his feet. "Easy there", he said. Neck hairs prickling, he became aware of an unwelcome audience: Luchien and Lareth. Knowing they couldn't read *his* mind, Taggart let his thought run rampant:   
  
*Do you guys know what 'deja vu' means? Well, if you don't, you're gonna find out, real soon...and so are you, Laredo!* He then grinned a little, and looked at the expression on Laredo's face...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	15. Chapter 15

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: If you want it, just ask.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
  
It was late that evening when the entire village, including the human visitors, gathered for the final ceremony. Lazienne's body had been wrapped in ceremonial cloth that had been soaked in sacred oil from a cactus-like plant that none of the human crewmembers recognized. Lazarus had informed his friends that the oil was highly flammable and therefore perfect for the funeral pyre. The location chosen for the resting grounds of Lazienne's ashes was well away from the outskirts of the village and the crowd of Tev'Meckians were gathered round the altar that had been fashioned from branches and tethers.  
  
Lieutenant Tawney Madison could feel the ever-increasing emotions around her...not only from her Lifemate, Lazarus, but also his sister, Lethe. Even as she shared Laz's pain--and tried to help him endure it--she noticed that Laredo had moved a little closer to the Tev'Meckian woman. Commander Taggart and Ensign Wingate brought up the rear. Unnoticed by all, they had also moved a little closer together than necessary. Each member of Lazienne's family poured some oil on the shroud. Everyone else in the village had, according to custom, placed dried flowers on the edges of the shroud, further preparing it for the torches her Lifemate and offspring bore. As the members of her village remembered Lazienne, and her grieving family, Luchien, voice breaking, stepped forward to speak.   
  
"Ipthar, we commit the spirit of Lazienne to your loving embrace. Grabthar, we commit the ashes of her body to your strong arms. May memories of her never die."   
  
With that, Luchien touched his torch to the corpse's head, Lazarus to the feet, and Lareth and Lethe to one side each. As the corpse caught fire each Tev'Meckian lowered his or her torch. Taggart and the others stepped forward--as Tawney had earlier instructed them--and each human took the torch of a Mak'Tar. Finally, the ceremony had ended and the crowd began to disperse and head back to their own huts. Tawney held onto Laz as they went, communicating with her mate through the bond as they walked.  
  
*I don't wish to part from you while you are in such pain, Laz.*   
  
Lazarus' response startled Tawney somewhat. *You will not have to, my beloved.*  
  
*W-what do you mean?*   
  
*I mean that my beautiful sister has offered to give us her hut for tonight so that we may be alone.*   
  
Lazarus could feel Tawney's excitement through the bond and couldn't help but smile. He had been overwhelmed with his sadness and loss and was looking forward to the happiness that was sure to come with being in his mate's arms tonight.  
  
*I hate to put her out*, Tawney hedged, trying to be polite, in spite of her growing hopes. *Where will she stay...and what about Ensign Wingate?*  
  
*She has said she will stay with father tonight, and Ensign Wingate will most assuredly stay where Lethe stays.*   
  
Tawney smiled brightly and hugged Laz tighter as they made their way back to the village.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lethe caught Katelyn just as she was about to enter the hut.   
  
"Ensign Wingate." She called out, causing Katie to turn to face the young Tev'Meckian and smile.   
  
"Please, call me Katelyn, or Katie if you prefer."   
  
Lethe smiled at the Human. She liked her brother's friends almost as much as she liked Tawney. Katelyn was very nice while Commander Taggart seemed to be a very resourcful man, and Laredo.... Well, she liked her brother's friends very much.  
  
"Katelyn, if you do not mind, I have told my brother that he could use my hut to spend some bonding time with his mate. You and I shall be residing in my father's hut for the duration. I hope you are not inconvenienced?" Lethe explained.  
  
"Oh, I don't want to inconvenience him", Katelyn insisted...however, Lethe was able to intrepret the unspoken words: *...especially since he seems to hate humans*.  
  
"I am sure that my father will not object. And he is not so bad once you get to know him. It is just the strangeness of the situation, and the stress of the circumstances that has him acting this way. He is normally a very gentle man." Lethe assured the hesitant woman.  
  
"I know this must be a very stressful time for him, as well", Katelyn said, hoping that that was main cause for Luchien's treatment of the humans. However, she knew in her heart that she was lying to herself: Luchien hated them all...especially Tawney.  
  
"Now, let us go to my father's hut before Tawney and Lazarus return. I am sure that my brother will need quite a bit of comforting tonight." Lethe smiled.   
  
Despite her apprehension, Katelyn actually laughed out loud, as she gathered the things that had been sent down from The Protector, then followed Lethe to Luchien's hut.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Katelyn and Lethe made their way to the head Tev'Meckian's hut. Lethe knocked once, then stood back to wait for her father to bid them enter.  
Lethe heard neither her father's voice nor his thoughts. She was about to knock again, when the door sprang open. Luchien barely spared a passing glance at Katelyn before fixing his daughter with a piercing look.   
  
"Yes, what may I do for you, daughter?"  
  
"I have offered my hut to Lazarus and Tawney for the night, Father, and Katelyn and I...."  
  
*NO!* The mental response cut Lethe off before she had the chance to voice her request fully.  
  
*But, Father....*  
  
*NO.* The finality in that one word said that Luchien would not be swayed.  
  
"Now, what?" Katelyn asked, after the door had been slammed in their faces. "That was more than just a little stress...wasn't it?"   
  
"I'm sorry, Ensign...."   
  
"Call me Katelyn."   
  
"...Katelyn." Lethe sighed, not wanting to face the truth. Finally, as she led the way back to Lareth's hut, she admitted, "You're right: Father is...well...he's very upset at the way things have turned out for Lazarus...."   
  
"...and your brother isn't any happier, is he?" Katelyn pressed.   
  
"Nay, he isn't", Lethe was forced to admit; however, her sad eyes suddenly took on an evil gleam. "...but I can handle him!" she vowed.  
  
Katelyn and Lethe walked away from Luchien's hut and were making their way to Lareth's hut, when they encountered Taggart and Laredo. Lareth was reluctantly following them, having been informed by Lazarus that he was to spend the night alone with the two humans.  
  
"Good evening, Lethe. I understand you're letting Laz and Tawney use your hut tonight?" Commander Taggart said.  
  
"Yes, Commander; this has been a difficult time for both of them. They need this time to begin their recovery."  
  
*And where do you and the other human expect to sleep tonight, sister dear?* Lethe heard her brother ask, the contempt coming through the bond was tangible.  
  
*Where we can do the most good, Brother Dear...in your hut!* After the episode with their father, Lethe couldn't help the smugness that was conveyed to her twin...but feeding her brother his Humble Pie felt so good!!  
  
Lareth snorted. *And just why would I put you up for the night? I already have these two to contend with.*  
  
*Because if you don't, I'll go to the Village Elders, and tell them what you did to Tawney, when she forgot the Departure Ceremony oils. Yes, Lareth: I know what you did to our sister...and you know that is in violation of one of our highest laws!* Lethe had him there, and she knew it.  
  
*I do not think it will make much difference after the duel, sister.*  
  
By this time, the Protector crew were looking between the two siblings. "Um, Laredo, why don't you, me and Katie here just...take a walk over there, hmm?"   
  
"Good idea, Sir", Ensign Wingate quietly replied. She could tell that Lethe was mad...and had a pretty good idea why....  
  
With that, the three moved a distance away to give Lethe and Lareth some privacy for this particular conversation.   
  
"Why do some people have to *be* that way?" The young ensign was rapidly facing the ugly reality that bigotry was universal.  
  
"Well," Taggart began. "Sometimes it's hard to accept new things."  
  
"I know, Sir, but...Well, Dr. Lazarus is so open-minded about these things. I suppose I expected his family to be that way, too. I guess I've got a lot to learn about Tev'Meck, and its customs...." Little did Katelyn know that there were plans in store--revolving around age-old "customs"--in which she had a major role.  
  
"Well, Lethe has been pretty good at making us feel welcome." Laredo interjected, then blushed as Taggart gave him a smug look.  
  
Katelyn, for her part, shot Laredo a curious glance. "...and, don't forget: Lazienne blessed their union", she added.  
  
Laredo and Taggart both nodded in agreement and then glanced over to where the two Tev'Meckians were still mentally 'slugging it out'.  
  
*Lareth, why do you and Father insist on a duel? Ipthar has already decreed that our older brother and Tawney were destined to be Lifemates! Are you really going to be so foolish as to allow this?* Lethe had no idea that the duel was, in fact, her twin's idea.  
  
*It is not my place to interfere, nor is it your's, Lethe.* Was Lareth's only reply, as he crossed his arms across his chest.  
  
*Yet, that's exactly what you and Father are doing, by your refusal to accept this Union!* was Lethe's final shot. She turned, and realized that Katelyn had left her side.  
  
The Protector trio noticed Lethe turn away from her brother and, taking that as meaning their discussion was over, walked back over. Katelyn, afraid to speak, let an uplift of her eyebrows ask the question, *Is everything all right?* A weak smile from Lethe answered her, as did the Tev'Meckian's "This way, Katelyn...", as she again headed toward her brother's hut. She couldn't help but notice that Laredo was looking at her with a mixture of apprehension, sympathy...and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.....  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	16. Chapter 16

Dear Reader,  
  
Due to the non-lemon rule, I have removed this chapter from this site. If you wish to read it, and are of age, please contact me through IM or email and I will send you a copy.   
  
Thank you,  
  
Rose aka Buffybot76 


	17. Chapter 17

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus'   
homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: If you want it, just ask.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 17  
  
  
Having stayed with Lareth the night before, Commander Taggart and Helmsman Laredo already had their "guest room"--such as it was--set up. The Tev'Meckian had made certain to put as much space as possible between himself and the humans. Now, thanks to his sister, he had another one to deal with...and a female, at that. Indignant at this latest insult, he stormed out, mumbling, "I'm going hunting!"  
  
Realizing that accomodations--not to mention emotions--would be strained to the max, the men from The Protector offered to sleep outside. As Taggart, Katelyn, and Lethe watched, Laredo began trying to gather up their meager provisions...with humorous results.  
  
"Having trouble there?" Taggart teased, as Laredo dropped his backpack for the third time. He was rewarded with a glare that would have cut through solid rock.  
  
Not thinking, Lethe stepped over to give him a hand...and made things worse. *What is wrong with me?!* she wondered. After about five minutes of fumbling, during which neither she nor Laredo could hold onto anything, Lethe came to a decision.  
  
"Uh, Commander...perhaps it would be better if Katelyn and I slept outside", she offered. She was still trying to get a grip on her emotions; however, she also realized that the strain of having a human female under his roof might drive her twin brother over the edge.  
  
"Is it safe to sleep outside, or do we need to beware of dangers in the night?" Katelyn asked, remembering Lareth's comment.  
  
*I believe anything you might encounter out there would at least be more hospitable than what we've seen here*, Taggart thought. He was beginning to get annoyed with the whole situation.  
  
"It is perfectly safe, Katelyn", Lethe assured the young woman. "My brother was merely going to look for more bloodticks; they come out at night."  
  
"Excuse me..!" Ensign Wingate rushed outside.  
  
After a moment, Lethe, Taggart and Laredo heard retching sounds. "I'd better go check on her", Taggart said, half-grateful at the timing. He went outside, leaving his helmsman and Lethe alone.  
  
Inside, Lethe was having a hard time keeping her feelings from jumping across the family bond to her brothers or her father. During the remaining days leading up to the duel, she would try to teach Tawney the mental skills she would need to either keep her thoughts private, or to use the Family Bond...assuming Tawney survived Luchien's proposed duel; Lethe was still trying to find a way out of that. Finally, she tried to speak. "I...er, she, er, It's obvious she hasn't tried the soup...", she managed.  
  
"I...uh, I don't think anyone else on board has", Laredo stammered. *What's wrong with me?* he wondered, feeling strange all over.  
  
Outside, Commander Taggart knelt beside his weak-stomached ensign. "Katie? You OK?" he inquired quietly.  
  
"I'm fine, Peter", she replied, just as quietly. "I guess there are just certain things...." Seeing the concerned way he was looking at her, she could suddenly go no further.  
  
"Well, watching Laz eat that stuff *does* take some getting used to", Taggart acknowleged, grinning. It was then that *he* felt a flutter in *his* chest. *Uh, oh!* he thought. *Calm down, Peter!* He was beginning to realize that his flirting with Katelyn--begun on The Protector, in a futile effort to try and win Tawney back--had been just what the doctor had ordered...Dr. Cupid, that is.  
  
Just then, footsteps could be heard: Lareth was returning. "Perhaps you'd better help Lethe gather some firewood", Taggart said, knowing what the sight of bloodticks would do to Katelyn.  
  
"Thank you...but I have to do this!" Katelyn was determined to overcome her queasiness. Her resolve lasted until Lareth was upon them, for in his left hand was a bag that was obviously full of *something* alive. Quickly, she focused on his right hand, which held a bola-like weapon. "Uh...how do you hunt...those", she pointed to the bag, and its contents, "...with *that*? Isn't that overkill?"  
  
Lareth was startled by the question, but recovered quickly. "Actually, we use this to break limbs off dead trees; then we retrieve what we need." Lareth's response was almost civil...which sent red flags up, not only to Taggart, but also to Lethe, who was standing with Laredo, unobservered, a few meters to one side.  
  
"Like that tree?" Katelyn asked, pointing to a specimen that had obviously seen better times. At Lareth's nod, she asked, "May I?" and pointed to the weapon.  
  
After another surprised nod, Katelyn took the weapon, and walked a safe distance away; she didn't want to hit anybody as she slung the weapon...not even Lareth. The Tev'Meckian "bola" consisted of three ropes, each about a meter long, with rocks on the ends of two ropes...and a pointed spear on the end of the third. The ropes had the ends pulled through a handle, then knotted.  
  
Grasping the handle, Katelyn twirled the "bola" first in front of her--mindful of the rope with the spear--then above her head; she let it fly. A great crack was heard, as the rocks hit their mark, and a dead branch fell to the ground. *We have chosen the opponent well, Father*, Lareth "reported", as he went to retrieve his weapon, and any bloodticks that might have called the tree "home". *She should easily be able to take out the other Human female.*  
  
As he walked back to his hut--he still had not acknowledged his sister or the Human males--Lareth accidentally bumped into Katelyn...and felt a chill come over his body. Realizing what it *had* to be, the bigoted Mak'Tar panicked. *Ipthar, NO!! Not with this one!* he "pleaded".  
  
About 20 meters away, a lone figure felt the same chills...and then retired to her hut....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
L'Tisha had been strolling towards Lareth's hut, hoping that Lazarus was staying with his younger brother, when the chill overcame her. Not being able to share this news with her mother--for she was at home, awaiting the birth of her third child--the young Tev'Meckian woman did the next best thing.  
  
*Father! I think...!*  
  
L'Tisha's father was overjoyed at the sensations that accompanied his daughter's announcement. *Yes, my daughter; I believe you are correct. Stay where you are, and together we will find the Lifemate that Ipthar has chosen for you.*  
  
*It's Lazarus, Father...I just know it!*  
  
*Patience, Daughter! I will be with you shortly.* Inside, the Elder knew his daughter's hopes were in vain. He had met Tawney, and--though the match was unprecedented--knew that Ipthar had chosen the right woman for his friend's firstborn. He got up, and left the Visitors' hut....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
tbc... 


	18. Chapter 18

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to   
Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet   
homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They   
belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: If you want it, just ask.  
Chapter 18  
As Lareth entered his hut, a sense of morbid fear setted over him,   
his prayer to Ipthar turning into a mantra in his mind. *Please, not   
the Human. Please, not the Human.*  
  
It wasn't long before his sister and the dreaded Humans entered the   
hut as well. Sighing in disgruntlement, Lareth ignored his guests and   
walked to the opposite side of the hut and began to prepare the Blood   
Ticks he had gathered earlier.  
  
*I have some plants that you can use for a salad*, Lareth "told" his   
sister. The malice he'd previously shown had been replaced by   
resignation, and--Lethe thought--a little bit of depression.  
  
*Are they in the greenhouse, brother?"   
  
Lareth simply nodded, and Lethe turned to leave the hut. Taggart   
and Katelyn both watched in amusement as Laredo followed Lethe out   
of the hut.  
  
Lareth, who was deep in thought, did not notice this however.   
  
*If it is to be, then Ipthar has apparently chosen a woman who can   
defend herself.* He pondered. He was unaware that he was soon to   
have visitors.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Salad...that means green things...", Laredo was muttering to   
himself, as he looked over the plants, and tried to remember   
what he and Commander Taggart had eaten previously. He was also   
trying, unsuccessfully, to ignore the tingle that raced up his   
spine, whenever Lethe neared him.  
  
"So.... need any help?" Laredo asked, wondering why his voice   
held a hint of a tremble.  
  
"Uh...yes...thank you, Laredo", Lethe's voice was no more stable   
than his. Taking a deep breath, she managed to steady it...a   
little bit. "Could you...hand me that basket?" She indicated a   
basket near the entrance to the greenhouse.  
  
"Sure thing." Laredo stated and moved to retrieve the basket--an   
old hand-made woven one--and turned to follow Lethe inside of the   
make-shift structure. As Laredo started to touch a large   
cabbage-like plant, Lethe stopped him.  
  
"Not that one", she said. "Don't let the size of the leaves fool   
you: That's actually used to make poultices for large wounds, like   
sunburns." She guided Laredo to the next aisle of plants.  
  
Laredo looked at the plant he had just reached for, making   
comparisons between it and the other leafy plants. As he looked,   
he noticed a strange looking plant set off to the side. The   
leaves were a shade of green Laredo had never seen before, and   
there were bright purple blossoms with bright red centers.   
  
"What about that one?" He asked, getting Lethe's attention as he   
pointed out the subject of his interest. "What is that one used   
for?"   
  
"That one's used for ailments of the stomach", Lethe explained.   
"When it's boiled, the broth can be very soothing."   
  
Spying the plants she knew the Humans would enjoy, Lethe blindly   
reached for the basket. Likewise, Laredo was still studying the   
medicinal plants; therefore, he wasn't paying attention to his   
hands, either. Whether by design or by accident, neither one   
knew...but, as Laredo handed the basket to Lethe, their hands   
touched.  
  
The tingle that ran up both thier arms was shocking to say the   
least. Lethe gasped and they both jerked back their hands at the   
same time, causing the basket to fall to the ground unheeded.   
Both human and Tev'Meckian looked at each other in confused   
wonder. Being the first to find his voice, Laredo said the first   
thing that came to his mind.   
  
"Okay, what the hell was that?!?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Father, hurry up, I wish to speak with Laz before the next   
Harvest Festival." L'Tisha hissed to her father, who was taking   
his time approaching the hut.  
  
T'Heseen finally came to stand beside his daughter in front of   
the entrance to Lareth's hut. Motioning for L'Tisha to knock,   
the elder Tev'Meckian crossed his arms over his chest and waited   
for them to be invited inside.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The knock startled the inhabitats of the hut. Lareth puzzled over   
who would be visiting this late as he bade whoever was at his door   
enter.  
  
As the door opened, Lareth's heartbeat quickened, and--as much as   
his species would allow--he became sweaty. He could see the Human   
female beside his sister...so what was causing this???  
  
For her part, L'Tisha was experiencing mixed emotions. The   
feelings she'd experienced earlier had, in fact, intensified...  
but Lazarus was nowhere to be seen. Despite the adrenaline rush   
which accompanied the Mak'Tar Mating Urge, L'Tisha felt a pang of disappointment that the feelings had apparently been caused, not   
by Luchien's firstborn, but by his younger brother...the very one   
she used to "bully".  
  
L'Tisha and Lareth stared at each other in shocked silence before   
the former turned and bolted from the hut. She had't gone twenty   
meters when she ran headlong into Luchien. The Elder had felt his   
son's mixed emotions, and had rushed, unbidden, to his younger son's   
hut. Grabbing her by the shoulders to steady her, Luchien could see   
the tears streaming down the young female's face. Becoming slightly   
alarmed, Luchien spoke gently as he asked, "L'Tisha, tell me what   
is wrong?"  
  
"It was supposed to be Lazarus!" L'Tisha wailed.  
  
A flash of confusion passed over Luchien's face as he tried to piece   
together what that statement meant. Then it hit him. L'Tisha was   
leaving Lareth's hut, but Luchien knew that Lazarus was in Lethe's   
hut with his.... human. Luchien knew of L'Tisha's obsession over his   
eldest son, and in truth had hoped that the two would bond. But his   
hopes had been dashed when his wayward son had returned with an   
"alien" Life Mate.  
  
*So, she had found her Life Mate, then, but who...*  
  
Luchien's eyes widened as the final piece of the puzzle fell into   
place. L'Tisha... with Lareth?  
  
Luchien...must it be so?" L'Tisha asked, desparingly, as she saw   
the Elder's gentle smile.  
  
"Yes, L'Tisha, it must. You know that we are not ones to change the   
decree of Ipthar."   
  
As he said this, Luchien felt a pang of guilt. Was this not exactly   
what he and Lareth were trying to do to Lazarus? *No it is not. That   
is entirely different.* He thought, trying to placate himself.  
  
Unaware that her cries had carried to the greenhouse, L'Tisha gave a   
final sniffle. "Well, if you are certain...."   
  
Head bowed in resignation, the young Tev'Meckian woman turned, and   
walked back toward Lareth's hut. Neither she nor Luchien saw Lethe   
and Laredo, who were both very confused--for several reasons--heading   
in the same direction. The four arrived at the entrance simultaneously.   
Lareth was waiting; Peter and Katelyn were behind him, in the dining   
area.  
  
Lethe, still confused about the incident in the greenhouse, slipped   
past her brother and into the hut to stand beside Katelyn. Laredo   
hurried in as well, but moved to the opposite side of the hut,   
putting as much distance between himself and Lethe as possible.  
  
"L'Tisha, for what reason have you and your father come calling so   
late?" Lareth asked, glancing curiously at his father as he spoke.  
  
"I...we...didn't you...?" L'Tisha, as she approached Lareth again   
found herself under the effects of the Mating Urge...and totally   
unable to speak coherently. *Mother was right*, she reflected. *The   
males always deny what they know to be true....*  
  
As Katelyn quietly passed by Lareth--a little closer than she would   
have desired--L'Tisha made her decision: She reached out, and took   
one of Lareth's hands. The reaction was immediate.  
  
Lareth's eyes widened and his jaw dropped dramatically as he felt   
the Mating Urge surge through him; beginning at the point of where   
his and L'Tisha's hands were joined, and spreading throughout his   
body. It is she and not the female human? Lareth did not know   
whether he wanted to laugh or cry. Laugh because he was jubilant   
that he was not to Mate with the Human. Cry because... this was   
L'Tisha! The bane of his existence. He had hated her and her   
bullying ways since they were but small children... and now she   
was to be his Life Mate?!?   
  
Lareth's eyes sought out his father's, silently beseeching him,   
needing him to say that this was not true. Luchien's eyes twinkled,   
as they had not since Lazienne had died.  
  
*At least it is not the Human, my son*, he "said", wryly.  
  
*I'm not certain which is worse*, Lareth "moaned". Giving a silent   
sigh, he felt everyone else's eyes upon him. Looking up, he spied   
his twin...and the look of triumph in her eyes.  
  
*Serves you right!* Lethe "gloated".  
  
*I would not be so quick to judge, sister.* Lareth "spat" back,   
narrowing his eyes threateningly at his twin.  
  
*You had better hope she has mellowed since we were playmates,   
Lareth.* Lethe, proud of herself for getting in the final blow,   
turned to the table. Katelyn and Peter had been watching the   
silent drama unfold; now, Lethe asked, "Katelyn, would you like   
to help me prepare the salad?"  
  
"Umm, actually, Peter and I were about to go for a walk. Weren't   
we, Peter? Laredo, why don't you help Lethe with the salad?"   
Katelyn said, all the while grabbing the Commander by the hand   
and dragging him out of the hut before either Lethe or Laredo   
could respond.   
  
Laredo was considering "pulling rank", and making the Ensign   
stay...until he saw the same thought cross the Commander's face.   
Sighing, he turned to his reluctant host.  
  
"Excuse me, Lareth", he said quietly. "Where do you keep your   
salad bowls? Lareth...? Uh, Lareth...?" Laredo saw a "look" in   
Lareth's eyes that sent chills down his spine...because Lethe   
had the same "look" in HER eyes. *What is going on here?* he   
wondered.  
  
Oblivious to the emotional fireworks around them--and blind to   
the extra sources...namely, Lethe and Laredo--L'Tisha and Lareth's   
fathers stepped outside, to tend to the matters at hand.  
  
L'Tisha, still holding Lareth's hands in her own, urged her   
new-found Life Mate to follow her from the hut, so that they   
could discuss this situation in private. Thus, Laredo found   
himself alone with Lethe in the hut. Gulping, he turned to face   
the female Tev'Meckian--who was eyeing him warily--and said,   
"So... how does Take-Out sound?"  
  
"Excuse me...?" a confused Lethe replied.  
  
"Uh, never mind." Laredo muttered, shaking his head.   
  
Walking over to the pantry, Laredo shifted through the various   
contents until he found a suitable bowl and brought it over to   
the small table in the dining area.  
  
Lethe and Laredo washed the salad greens, and prepared the meal   
in silence, partly because they were both afraid to speak, and   
partly because each one was lost in thought, wondering at the   
events this evening...and the repercussions of these events....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Is what just happened in there, really what I think just   
happened?" Katelyn asked the Commander after they had walked   
a good distance away from the hut that held their friends.  
  
Commaner Peter Quincy Taggart just laughed. "Very good, Katelyn!"   
he joked. "It WAS pretty obvious...to everyone but the two of   
them...and Lethe's family", he remarked.  
  
"I can't believe it!" Katie scoffed. "Man, are the two stuck ups   
really gonna lose it when they find out."  
  
Taggart became serious. "Yeah, well...Maybe they can keep it quiet   
until after this 'duel' of Luchien's." Mentally, he added, *...or   
else we're liable to have some VERY serious bloodshed...soon.*  
  
Katelyn also became serious. "You are worried about this duel,   
aren't you? You're afraid Tawney may lose." She stated.  
  
Katelyn also became serious. "You ARE worried about this duel,   
aren't you? You're afraid Tawney may lose", she stated. Katelyn   
couldn't help the hint of jealousy rearing its head at this thought.   
She knew it was petty. Tawney could really get hurt, she only wished   
the Commander would worry about *her* that way....   
  
Unbeknownst to Katelyn, Commander Taggart WAS worried about Ensign Wingate...because his mind had flashed back to something that had   
happened earlier: Katelyn's prowess with the Tev'Meckian "bola".   
*Surely Luchien wouldn't stoop THAT low...would he?* Taggart   
worried. His eyebrows furrowed at this thought, causing Katelyn   
to put a hand on his shoulder. Unthinkingly, Peter reached up and   
placed his own hand over Katie's.   
  
The cover of night prevented Taggart's blush from being visible,   
but nothing could quiet the trembling in his heart, or his voice.   
Bringing their hands down, he stammered, "We'd better...get back.   
Uh, I'm sure...that salad's ready...by now...." As they started   
walking back towards Lareth's hut, Peter unconsciously sqeezed   
Katelyn's hand...and nearly passed out when she sqeezed back....  
  
Glancing over at Peter, Katelyn smiled secretly. Maybe there was   
still a chance for her and the Commander yet.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19  
Lareth was speechless. While he was grateful that the Mating Urge had not   
been for Katelyn Wingate, he was dumstruck that Ipthar would choose someone   
like L'Tisha for him. Was he destined to be dominated by her forever?   
*L'Tisha, I....* He tried to touch her mind, but found it closed off to   
him...and he knew why....  
  
L'Tisha was--for the lack of a better word--in hell. Before she had even   
reached the age of awareness, she had wanted Lazarus for her Mate. And now   
it seemed she was destined to be bonded to his younger brother instead! She   
felt the nudging in her mind, and knew that Lareth was trying to initiate   
the mind bond, but she resisted. She was not ready to communicate with him   
that way just yet. Instead, she vocally spoke.  
  
"Why you?"  
  
"I do not know--no one does--but we cannot question the wisdom...." Lareth   
stopped. He'd started to say "...we cannot question the wisdom of Ipthar."   
However, the realization hit: He and his father had done just that, by   
opposing the Bonding of Lazarus and Tawney. *That's different: She's Human.   
The Bond cannot be allowed!*, he tried to rationalize. Seeing an accusing   
look in his Chosen Mate's eyes, Lareth lowered his.  
  
Turning her back to Lareth, L'Tisha moaned. "This is so unfair."  
  
"Why?" Lareth ask.  
  
Turning slightly, L'Tisha threw Lareth a glance that clearly said "You   
moron."  
  
Suddenly, he remembered: All those times L'Tisha had chased him and Lethe   
off, as children, she'd ended up alone with Lazarus. HE was the one she'd   
hoped to be Mated with. "L'Tisha, I am sorry you are disappointed...but I   
truly want us to have a Union such as my parents had: One filled with joy.   
It will be hard....."  
  
"HARD!?!" L'Tisha spun to face Lareth. "You have NO idea how hard this will   
be!!"  
  
Stalking past Lareth, L'Tisha continued on her tirade. "I despised you when   
we were younger. Both you and your sister, always thinking you were better   
than me." L'Tisha turned to see the shocked look in Lareth's eyes. "Oh yes,   
I despised you then, and I still despise you now. Lazarus was the only one   
even tried to be civil to me. And I just knew that he was the one I was to   
be bonded with."  
  
"Sometimes I think he did that out of pity for us", Lareth ventured. He   
wanted to "tell" her something through a mental bond; however, seeing that   
she was not ready, Lareth settled for lowering his voice. "Father and I do   
not approve of my brother's so-called 'mate', and we are considering our   
options", he confessed.  
  
L'Tisha's eyes took on an evil glint upon hearing this. "You and your father   
are....interfering with the decree of Ipthar?" It was unthinkable and   
blasphemous, but at the same time, L'Tisha could not contain her hope that   
maybe there was still a chance for her to be bonded to Lazarus.  
  
Lareth hated to do it, but he had to: "If--and it's a long shot--we are   
sucessful in breaking this Bond, Lazarus will not be able to take another   
Lifemate...just as my father cannot."  
  
L'Tisha's face crumpled in despair. Oh, why had she not thought of that?! Of   
*course* Lazarus would not be able to take another Lifemate. He would   
forever mourn the loss of his Human.  
  
But wait.  
  
"Surely, as being an Earthling, Ipthar would not deny Lazarus the chance to   
be happy with a Mate of his own species should something happen to the   
Human?" She questioned.  
  
Just then, L'Tisha turned, and something about her profile struck a chord in   
Lareth...or was it the oils of the crushed roots she'd added to her bath. A   
change in the wind carried the resulting pheromene to Lareth. Suddenly, he   
was seeing L'Tisha in a new light...and he knew--he KNEW--that Ipthar's   
"choice" for him had been right. "And what about me...?"  
  
Startled by the question, L'Tisha looked up at Lareth--her eyes meeting   
his--and was shocked to see the sudden desire that lay therein. Feeling a   
strange sensation beginning in her stomach, L'Tisha was suddenly frightened.  
  
"I-It is late." She stuttered. "I believe it b-b-best we return to our huts   
now." Not waiting for a reply, L'Tisha hastened to leave.  
  
As he turned to follow his newly-discovered Lifemate-To-Be, Lareth realized:   
*It will be as it should between us, L'Tisha...and we will make each other   
very happy.*  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
*We have much to discuss, old friend*, Luchien "told" the visiting Elder.   
*We must prepare a PROPER Bonding Ceremony.*  
  
*In regards to whom, Luchien?* L'Tisha's father inquired. *Do you speak of   
my daughter to your youngest son, or your daughter to the visiting Human?*  
  
*I beg your pardon?!* Had Luchien been so happy for Lareth--who'd seemed   
destined for a life with a "proper" mate, that he'd overlooked something.   
Terror gripped his heart: It was disgraceful enough that Lazarus had taken a   
Human mate...but LETHE as well...??  
  
Smirking, T'Heseen inclined his head, so that he could look Luchien--being a   
few inches taller than he--in the eye. "You mean you did not feel it? The   
extra tension in that hut was stifling."  
  
"Do you mean between Commander Taggart, and his Ensign?" Luchien asked,   
hopefully.  
  
"Er, no Luchien, I did not." Came the reply.  
  
"Then surely not...By Grabthar's hammer...NO!!!" Luchien turned, and bolted   
back to Lareth's hut. Surely Ipthar would not be so cruel as to inflict TWO   
Humans upon him!!  
  
He never heard T'Heseen's laughter, which rang through the night.....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
*Now I *know* I've never been this clumsy in front of a girl before, so what   
the *hell* is going on here!* Laredo thought as he once again bumped into   
the chair sitting beside where he stood at the table.  
  
*This can't be what I THINK it is...can it...?* Lethe wondered.  
  
Laredo chanced a glance in Lethe's direction, only to find her already   
looking his way. Their eyes locked and that damned shiver ran down Laredo's   
spine again.  
  
*Shit! This isn't happening.* He thought helplessly.  
  
Finally, it all clicked for him. He had once talked with Lt. Madison when   
she had first become bonded to Dr. Lazarus. Mainly because he had been   
curious, but now he wished he hadn't been.  
  
Answering Laredo's unspoken question, Lethe gathered her courage, and   
stepped over to the Human visitor. *If I'm right, we'll know in a moment*,   
she realized. Putting her arms around the startled young man's neck, she   
kissed him. Immediately, they were enveloped in a golden glow.....  
  
"Hey Laredo, you and Lethe got that salad rea- Whoa!"  
  
"I don't think so, Peter", an amused Katelyn remarked. She was wondering   
about the glow.  
  
Hastily, the kissing couple leapt apart, causing the Bonding Aura to die   
out.  
  
"Commander, I-I can ex-explain...", Lethe began. *To you, anyway...but to   
Father...?*  
  
Laredo's eyes were wide with shock and he was unable to utter an   
explanation. *I'm dead. I am *so* dead*, was the only thought in his mind at   
this point.  
  
"Uh...will somebody say something?" a confused Katelyn asked.  
  
By now, Lethe had regained a little bit of her composure...a VERY little   
bit. "Well, it, uh, appears that Ipthar has revealed my Lifemate to me", she   
said, very quietly.  
  
Laredo's eyes bugged. "Commander! I-I..."  
  
"It's alright, Laredo. No need to get all worked up. Katie and I pretty much   
saw this coming." Taggart assured the young helmsman.  
  
"But the glow...?" Katelyn asked. "What does that mean...?" Unlike Laredo,   
she had NOT pressed Tawney about her relationship with the Mak'Tar man;   
therefore, she was "in the dark" about the significance of the glow.  
  
"That's the Bonding Aura", Lethe explained, clearly embarrassed at her Human   
audience. "That's the confirmation we receive from Ipthar, that our Lifemate   
has been found."  
  
"So, that will happen each time you...kiss?" a now-amused Katelyn asked.  
  
Knowing what the young Ensign was trying *not* to say, Lethe found her   
tension released in laughter. "That, too...", she said.  
  
Although the shock was finally starting to fade, Laredo could not seem to   
get his mouth to work. He was sure that if it did, he would be wishing for   
the ground to open up and swallow him right about now.  
  
Just then, the sound of running footsteps was heard, causing all four of the   
hut's inhabitants to look around as the door was slung open.  
  
*Please, Ipthar, do not let me be too late!* Luchien "begged". One glance at   
his daughter's face, however, told him otherwise.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~* 


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20   
Tawney Madison was awakened by a sound she neither expected nor hoped to hear so soon after Lazienne's death: the sound of her Lifemate's helpless laughter.   
  
"Laz....what is it?" She asked.   
  
Raising her head--which had been resting on the Tev'Meckian's chest--Tawney looked into eyes that were filled with amusement.   
  
Lazarus had "shut down" his bond with Tawney during the night, wanting to spare her some of his agony. Now he wanted to keep this news to himself a little longer; the irony of it was just *too* delicious! "I can't, Tawney...not yet...", he stalled, chuckling. His chuckling yielded to full belly laughs, as his Lifemate tried to tickle the information from him. "Tawney...NO!!" he begged.   
  
Tawney was relentless in her tickle-tactic, though, and soon she had her mate gasping for breath between laughs.   
  
"Tell me, Laz. I won't stop until you do!" she threatened.   
  
"All right! I'll tell you!" he said. "...after this!!" He quickly reversed their positions, and had Tawney howling with laughter, as he worked his magic on her ribs.   
  
"NO, LAZ!!" Tawney squealed.   
  
She tried to squirm away, but was held fast by the delightful weight of Laz's body. Finally, Laz took pity on her and stopped his assault. Sighing as he settled back onto the bedding, he drew his still giggling mate into his arms.   
  
After they'd stopped giggling, they took a couple of minutes to catch their breaths. Suddenly, Laz started chuckling again. *You are NOT going to believe this!* he "told" Tawney. He "sent" her the information that Lethe had used to awaken him.   
  
*Believe what sweetheart?*   
  
*Lethe is going to be applying to the Academy...so she can be near her...her...Lifemate!* Another spasm of laughter shook Laz.   
  
"What?!" Tawney asked, totally forgetting to use the link.   
  
After all the pain of recent days, the laughter was intoxicating; Laz couldn't stop...not even long enough to use the link. Tears were starting to roll down his cheeks.   
  
Finally, he recovered enough to "say", *Ipthar has chosen one of our shipmates to be Lethe's Lifemate....*   
  
*NO!* Tawney "repied" disbelievingly. Her jaw had dropped in shock at Laz's revelation. *Not Peter!* The idea of Lazarus' sister having to be Bonded to the arrogant Commander really irked Tawney for some reason.   
  
Lazarus laughed so hard at that, he fell off his bed. As realization came over Tawney's face, he confirmed it: *Not Peter...Laredo!*   
  
"OH, YOU!!!" Tawney lunged at Lazarus once again, slapping her mate playfully on his chest.   
  
*I'm serious!!* Laz "replied".   
  
*You really are, aren't you.* Tawney finally "said".   
  
*Yes, I am*, came the "response". *And that's not even the best news!* He was taking a chance, teasing her like this...and he knew it.   
  
*What now?* Tawney wondered. *Don't tell me...Lareth is Bonded to Katelyn.*   
  
Her reply was dripping sarcasm, but inwardly, Tawney shuddered. The thought of the poor Ensign being subjected to such a torture was very disturbing.   
  
After the ensuing paroxysm of laughter finally subsided, Lazarus was able to continue: *No...but it appeared to be close. My dear brother is destined to be with....* He took a deep breath, knowing how Tawney would react. *...with L'Tisha!*   
  
Tawney--now understanding the source of her Lifemate's laughter--felt the need to laugh herself. She could not think of a better match for one another than the self-righteous Lareth and the bitchy L'Tisha.   
  
Laughter rang out--from both of them--for several minutes; then, Lazarus said, "We'd better get up. I'm certain my sister has more than worn out her welcome with Lareth."   
  
He was referring, of course, to the indignity (if not shame) his brother--not to mention his father--must be feeling, at the prospect of having another Human in the family.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
Tawney and Lazarus left Lethe's hut and proceeded toward Lareth's. Before they could reach their destination though, they came upon L'Tisha's father, T'Hessen.   
  
"Good morning, T'Hessen", Lazarus said. He started to say something about L'Tisha; however, the Elder beat him to it.   
  
"Good morning, Lazarus. I hear that you have gained a new sister in bond." T'Hessen beamed.   
  
"And that would be...?" Lazarus couldn't resist the urge to tease his father's friend.   
  
"Why, L'Tisha, of course. She and Lareth had their first acknowledgment of the Mating Urge. And if I am not mistaken I believe your sister did as well."   
  
"Well, Lareth and Lethe *are* twins, and therefore reached the Age of Awareness at the same time", Lazarus began. "However, to also feel the Urge at the same time is highly unusual...."   
  
"Why do you say that, Laz? I think it's wonderful that they found their Lifemates." Tawney said to her mate.   
  
"Wait a minute!" T'Hessen said. "You already knew about this, didn't you?" he accused. His answer was a pair of impish grins.   
  
"Yes, T'Hessen, Lethe told me this morning through the bond." Lazarus replied. "Although, I must say that I was surprised when she told me."   
  
"About your brother and my daughter, or about your sister, and your shipmate?" T'Hessen asked, clearly amused.   
  
"Truthfully?" Laz asked his father's friend. When the elder Tev'Meckian nodded, Laz sighed dramatically. "Well, it was close, but if I had to say which one was more of a surprise....I guess I would have to go with my brother."   
  
"Because L'Tisha used to 'bully' your siblings?" T'Hessen asked. Lost in conversation--for they had not seen each other in some time--the two Tev'Meckians had apparently forgotten all about Tawney.   
  
Lazarus shrugged. "There is that. And then there's the fact that I already had an inkling about Lethe and Laredo."   
  
"So did I", Tawney spoke up.   
  
The words caused the two Tev'Meckians to jump; Laz threw Tawney an apologetic look. With a smile, she reassured him that she understood.   
  
Not wanting to separate the two old friends, Tawney said, cordially, "We were on our way to meet up with Commander Taggart and Ensign Wingate. Would you care to come with us?"   
  
"Yes, do join us T'Hessen. It has been a great while since we last spoke." Lazarus added.   
  
"That's very kind of you; thank you." The visiting Elder fell into step with Tawney and Lazarus. *You're very lucky to have such a caring Lifemate, Lazarus. Your father and brother will come to see this soon...I promise.*   
  
The smile on Laz's face widened at the reassurance. He had always considered T'Hessen to be like an Uncle and his kindness and understanding in this situation went a long way in endearing the man even more to Lazarus.   
  
*Laz...?* "asked" Tawney.   
  
*Yes, love?*   
  
*I just remembered: The 'duel' your father is demanding is in a few days. I'm scared.* Neither Tawney nor Laz realized that, in her haste, she had forgotten to make the thought "private", as Lethe had been teaching her...therefore, T'Hessen received the thought, as well.   
  
*What "duel"?* T'Hessen pondered. *Luchien, old friend, is your hatred of this woman so deep, that you would forget our new laws?* He was saddened at the prospect. Coming to the path that led to his hut, T'Hessen decided to take his leave, so that he might check his sources. "I thank you both for your company; however, L'Tisha and I have some plans to make...including contacting her mother...."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	21. Chapter 21

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
Rating: R, possibly. Might not go that high.  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to   
Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know   
and you can have it.  
Chapter 21  
"Protector, this is Commander Taggart. You there, Chen?" Peter spoke into the Interstellar Vox his held in his right hand.  
  
The Commander's words filtered through the com back on the starship,   
startling the Tech Seargent, who was at that moment in a passionate liplock. As Chen extracted himself from Lilairi's embrace, he was already calling out his response.  
  
"Uh, Yes, sir. Right here, Commander."  
  
Hearing the Tech Seargent's almost breathless reply, Peter asked, "How's everything going on my ship? Any problems I should know about?"  
  
"Uh...no, Sir! No problems here!" Chen scrambled to his feet, and quickly   
caught his breath. He hoped Taggart never figured out *why* he was out of breath! Suddenly, it registered with Chen that the Commander's voice held an odd tone. "Is everything all right on the planet, Sir?" He tried not to sound worried.  
  
Peter hesitated before finally replying. "Well... it's sort of complicated,   
Chen. It seems we're gonna be here a bit longer than we anticipated."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
While every village on Tev'Meck, including that of Lazarus's Mak'Tar tribe, kept the traditonal "primitive" housing, contact with other interstellar   
beings had prompted the people to also have modern Communication Centers in each village.  
  
It was here that the visiting Elder, T'Hessen, had come. His purpose was multi-fold. First of all, he needed to contact his village, to get details about his new child. He also wanted to get word to his Lifemate about L'Tisha's good news. Finally, he wanted to confirm--with the other Elders of his village--that the duel Luchien had planned was now illegal....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Upon returning to his Visitors' Hut, T'Hessen was met by an excited L'Tisha. "Well...?" she asked, excitedly. "Do I have a new brother or sister?"  
  
T'Hessen chuckled at his first-born's enthusiasm. "Actually...one of each", he replied, joyfully, just before the young Tev'Meckian woman threw herself into his arms. The two laughed aloud, and danced about the hut.  
  
After disentangling themselves several minutes later, the visiting Elder continued, "After your mother has rested a little longer, she will also be told of *your* happy news."  
  
L'Tisha's face became somber for a moment; then, she gave a little sad smile. "Yes, it *is* happy news...although not quite as happy as I would have preferred", she confessed. Before her father had a chance to speak, she continued, "I will not question the wisdom of Ipthar, Father. Lareth and I will make each other happy."  
  
"I am happy to hear that", T'Hessen replied, hugging his daughter again. "Just remember: You can't bully your Lifemate, as a child would bully a playmate...."  
  
"I know, Father", L'Tisha replied, accepting the chiding remark gracefully, "and I won't let him do...." She stopped.  
  
"Won't let him do *what*?" T'Hessen pressed, suddenly concerned.  
  
L'Tisha sighed, not wanting to get her Lifemate-to-be in trouble. Seeing that her father would not be satisfied with anything less than the truth, she sat down, and sighed again.  
  
"Yes, I bullied Lareth and Lethe as a child", she admitted. "Lethe never said, or did, anything...but sometimes Lareth would...." Her voice faltered, and her eyes filled with tears at the memory.  
  
"He would...?" T'Hessen prompted.  
  
"He...would sometimes...force his thoughts into my head...then make me promise not to tell", his daughter said, very quietly. "Oh, Father! What if he still does that?!" L'Tisha's voice was now panicky; a closely guarded secret was out.  
  
"Such an act is against our ways; he should know that", her father said, soothingly. While children sometimes behaved as Lareth had, such an act was forgivable--provided the young "offender" and the family received proper instruction--until the Age of Awareness. Often the act was merely a phase....  
  
Still, his daughter's words bothered him, especially in light of Tawney Madison's inadvertent revelation earlier. Knowing that Luchien opposed Laz's Bonding--and also knowing that the Mak'Tar Village Elder was a great influence on his younger son--T'Hessen felt certain that Lareth also was denying the Bond, and the will of Ipthar. Would he go so far as to force his thoughts on his Sister-in-Bond? *There are ways to determine whether he still does that*, he remembered.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The sound of laughter--both male and female--rang out across the flat terrain as two figures walked hand in hand beside an oasis of dreamworthy proportions. The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon, painting the sky with brilliant reds and golds.  
  
Lethe finally reined in her chuckles long enough to gasp, "So, it was the Bloodticks all along?"  
  
Laredo's smile widened as he replied, "Yep. The man couldn't even look at any for about a month without turning green."  
  
*Oh, my!!* Lethe thought. *His favorite food!! He must have been miserable!!!* Another round of laughter began. She noticed, after a moment, that Laredo had become quiet.  
  
Even as Lethe's laughter began, Laredo had paused, sobering, "I remember this other planet we were on..."   
  
Lethe felt the change in Laredo's mood and slowed her steps, finally coming to a stop and turning to face her companion fully. He went on to relate the tale of his faux pas with the Ambassador of KQU-flux. This race had a "hands off" custom: It was forbidden for an outsider to touch them. Tommy didn't know this; he thought he was honoring his grandmother's teaching, by shaking the Ambassador's hand....He had no idea he'd be thrown into a "to-the-death" duel...against Tawney Madison. Lethe's eyes widened as her new Lifemate told his tale. She could not believe that this had happened, and yet both were still alive.   
  
Curiously she asked, "How did you get out of it?"  
  
Laredo let out a long breath before answering. "Well, we didn't do anything, it was the Commander who saved our hides that time. He had the KQU-flux senators double check their customs. They found that the dueling custom had been outlawed and their records were outdated. VERY outdated....like, a couple centuries."  
  
*HMM...I wonder.*  
  
Before she even finished her thought, Lethe grabbed Laredo's hand and-- without another word--lead him back to the clan.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
TBC... 


	22. Chapter 22

Title: Return To Tev'Meck (Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')  
  
Author: Rose (buffybot76@hotmail.com)  
  
Rating: R  
  
Pairing: Dr. Lazarus/Tawney Madison  
  
Summary: The crew of the NSEA Protector are summoned back to Lazarus' homeworld of Tev'Meck. But it is a bittersweet homecoming.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Galaxy Quest characters. They belong to Dreamworks and the writers of the wonderful screenplay.  
  
Feedback: Yes, please.  
  
Distribution: It is on fanfiction.net right now. If you want it, let me know and you can have it.  
  
Author's Note: I want to dedicate this to my reviewers OteCuttlfish, Charlana, Slytherin Groupie, and Amidalasky Snape, whom I really appreciate. I thank you for reading this and I will be finishing it I promise, it'll just be a bit more. Sorry if this is short and for the cliffhanger, but the story is drawing closer to the end and I want to make it last. *smiles*  
  
Chapter 22  
  
  
  
"... it's sort of complicated, Chen. It seems we're gonna be here a bit longer than we anticipated."  
  
Before he could go into detail, Peter was interrupted by someone clearing his throat just behind him. Spinning around, the Commander discovered Luchien and Lareth standing side by side with identically sinister smirks on their faces.  
  
"Commander, forgive me, but I could not help but overhear your conversation. I feel terrible for inconveniencing you and your crew. I feel it is my responsibility to correct my oversight. As an apology, I am willing to reschedule the duel."  
  
Commander Taggart's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You're....what?"  
  
"Yes. Father and I feel awful for detaining you unnecessarily." Lareth's words were belied by the coldness of his eyes.   
  
"And so, I hereby announce that the duel shall take place this evening. Please, if you do not mind, round up your crew and the Elders and I shall make all the arrangements."  
  
Before the shocked Commander could reply, Luchien and Lareth turned and walked away.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
*Commander, forgive us, but we could not....*  
  
What Lareth did not realize was that his thoughts were not completely shielded. As a result, Lethe--who had stopped, with Laredo, at her hut--suddenly paled, and rushed out, passing her thoroughly-confused Lifemate-To Be. She somehow knew that her brother and father had had encouragement--if not help--in this scheme; therefore, she dared not turn to any of the other Elders in her village...and this sudden change of plans made time a very real enemy. With Laredo close at her heels, Lethe headed for T'Hessen's hut.  
  
She could hear the sounds of Laredo's footfalls as he raced to keep up, but she dared not slow down. Tawney's life was at stake and she could not take the chance of not stopping her father and brother in time. Little did she know that the life of another new friend--Ensign Katelyn Wingate--was also at stake.  
  
Coming back from a stroll of their own, the two Human women in question saw first their Tev'Meckian hostess, then their Protector shipmate, headed toward another part of the village. Frightened by the lack of communication from Lethe, the Lieutenant grabbed the Ensign. "Come on!" she said, urgently. As she ran, she debated with herself about whether or not to send Laz a heads up. She decided not to panic before absolutely necessary, and continued to follow her Sister-in-Bond.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luchien stood in the midst of the village square, the crowd of visiting Mak'Tar surrounding him, murmuring to one another in curious tones. He raised his arms above his head as he addressed the group of Tev'Meckians.   
  
"My friends, I wish to thank those gatheref for helping honor my Lifemate, Lazienne."   
  
At his words, the crowd applauded, showing their approval of such a gesture . The applause finally died down and Luchien was allowed to speak again.  
  
"I also have a matter of great importance that has arisen and must be dealt with that I am most positive my dear Lifemate would not tolerate." At these words, the murmuring began again, slowly escalating. This was the moment that Peter, Tawney and Katelyn arrived to hear Luchien's next words. They didn't notice that Lethe and Laredo were coming from one direction, T'Hessen and his daughter from another, and Laz from a third.  
  
A feeling of dread came over Tawney...a feeling that escaped her mental shield, and reached her Lifemate and her Sister-in Bond. Laz--who'd been in seclusion, as was the custom for the firstborn, after the death of a parent--shook off his melancholy mood, and hurried his pace. Likewise, Lethe quickened her steps, saying to Laredo, "Let's go! Something's wrong!" Meanwhile, T'Hessen--seeing Lethe's actions--dragged his daughter along...for he knew what was about to happen.  
  
"Our teachings, that no Mak'Tar take a Lifemate from outside the tribe, have been shamelessly flaunted and ignored", Luchien continued. "Not only is the 'Lifemate' in question not Mak'Tar, she is not even Tev'Meckian!" he declared. Murmurs--which Luchien interpreted as supportive--began again. "This cannot be allowed! The offender must be dealt with! I therefore, propose a duel--in accordance with our time-honored laws--to determine the fate of this offender!"  
  
At this, Luchien produced a pair of the Tev'Meckian bola-like weapons...the same one Katelyn had seen Lareth use--and had used, herself--a few nights earlier. Now spying the humans, Luchien declared, "Bring her forward!" At this, Tawney Madison found herself in the grip of Liamoto, who dragged her towards Luchien.  
  
As Peter and Katelyn moved towards Tawney, they found their paths blocked by T'Noseen...and Lareth. "This travesty will no longer be tolerated!" he growled.  
  
Lazarus felt his blood freeze in his viens at his father's demand...and seeing his Lifemate in the clutches of Liamoto, as well as sensing her fear, was driving him into a rage he had never felt before. Tawney caught Lazarus' stare, their eyes met and gazes locked in silent communication.   
  
*This isn't happening...is it, Laz?*  
  
*OVER MY DEAD BODY!!*  
  
Lazarus made an attempt to go to Tawney's aide, but was stopped as three other Tev'Meckian elders blocked his path. Tawney kept struggling as she was bodily forced to Luchien's side. Tawney shot her so-called Father-in-Bond a scathing look as he simply returned her look with one of loathing. Drawing his attention back to the gathered crowd.  
  
"It is my duty as the head of this clan to preserve the traditions of out people," Luchien began, letting his eyes search out and lock onto the face of his eldest offspring. "even if the one to disrupt it....is my own son.  
  
At hearing this, there came a vast amount of mixed reactions from the Mak'Tar. Murmurs of confusion and looks of accusation and pity were threw Lazarus' way, which caused Laz to glare back at them defiantly. Luchien relished this and so continued.   
  
"And now my clan memebers, I propose this....a duel has been scheduled for later this new cycle. But I say let us not wait for the outcome. Let us proceed with the duel tonight!"  
  
An uproar of both approval and rejection rang out through the crowd, causing the Protector's crewmembers to glance around nervously, while Lazarus, Lethe and T'Hessen looked devestated. Tawney was horrified that there might be a fight break out as there were a number of Mak'Tar in disagreement. Luchien raised his arms to calm the nearly riotous crowd. It took a few moments for the shouts finally subside, but when they did, Luchien let the most alarming part of his speech be revealed.  
  
"And so, now that the challenger to the ancient and respected traditions of our people has been revealed...a lowly human of the planet Earth no less...then I find it belittling to a true woman of Tev'Meck to face such an unworthy opponent." This comment drew an offended protest from both Tawney and Katelyn. "Therefore, I now decree that the human, Tawney Madison, shall duel with the other Earth woman, Katelyn Wingate....to the death."  
  
Nothing short of pandemonium breaking out could have been used to describe what happened next. Lazarus and Taggart each had looks of horror etched on their faces. Taggart's expression, however, soon turned to one of utter rage. The other clan members were voicing either their support of their protests. Katelyn and Tawney shared a look of hopeless dispair as they realized.....it was going to take a miracle to get them out of this.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
TBC... 


	23. Chapter 23

Return To Tev'Meck

(Sequel to 'The Sigournate Virus')

**- Chapter 23 -**

Luchien's compatriots, Liamoto and T'Neeson, had taken Lieutenant Tawney Madison and Ensign Katelyn Wingate to separate huts, in order to isolate them from everyone else until sunset. Worse still, each Elder had managed to convince other Village Elders that Luchien was doing the right thing; therefore, each hut was heavily guarded. Neither woman was allowed to see anyone.

Lazarus was enraged by what his father and brother had done, causing the normally level headed Tev'Meckian to have to be restrained by both Laredo and Taggert.

"Damn it, Peter!" Lazarus seethed as he yanked yet again at the restraining hand that his commander had on his upper arm. "Release me now."

"Calm down, Laz," Taggart encouraged, to no avail. He then pulled his trump card. "As soon as we were alone, I contacted The Protector, and asked that current laws of your planet be pulled. There's _go_t to be a loophole we've missed!" At the Tev'Meckian's dubious look, Taggart continued, with a smirk, "Well, we all know what's been on your mind the last few months...and it doesn't have anything to do with anyone's laws!"

Lazarus' face obtained a slightly pinkish complexion at this, but the look of worry was still there. "Yes, I know, but I can't just stand here and do nothing. I can't!" He growled.

"Look, Laz...I hope to hear from The Protector soon...and, the way things have been going, we're due for some good news for a change!" He added, "I mean, come on, at least things can't get any worse!"

As if to disprove Peter's last words, a commotion was heard outside. The two quickly rushed out, only to find that their hut was also heavily guarded. They were, however, able to see what appeared to be some Tev'Meckians, rushing to the aid of a fallen comrade.

It was, in fact, L'Tisha who had fallen, and had twisted her ankle. Her cry of pain reached Laredo and Lethe. The newly "engaged" couple quickly joined T'Hessen and L'Tisha.

"I've got my first-aid kit right here," Laredo said, quickly tending to the fallen woman. As he did so, T'Hessen brought Lethe up to date, mentally, on the events. "He's gonna do what?" Laredo exclaimed, in shock. It was at that moment everyone realized that Lethe and Laredo had, in fact, established a mental Bond.

Lethe's shock had carried, not only to Laredo, but also to the males in her family. Lazarus squeezed Peter's arm, allowing a brief smile of triumph to grace his features. Luchien and Lareth, on the other hand, were stunned by the knowledge that Ipthar had, indeed, allowed the Bond to form between one of their family, and yet another accursed human. The shock of the two Tev'Meckian males caused them to falter…and this gave Lethe, Laredo, T'Hessen, and L'Tisha time to reach the crowd. "You can't do this!" Laredo cried out. "It's uncivilized!"

"Not only that," added T'Hessen, "But it is now illegal!" Gasps were heard throughout the crowd.

At the entrance to their hut, Commander Taggart and Dr. Lazarus breathed sighs of relief and victory. They might make it back to The Protector unscathed, after all!

In another hut, Lieutenant Tawney Madison and Ensign Katelyn Wingate heard the visiting Elder's words, and hugged each other triumphantly. Even though the Ensign had been jealous of Tawney (and-if the truth were known-the reverse had been true, briefly, when the Lieutenant saw her C. O. flirting with the Ensign), thoughts of a fight, especially to the death, appalled her.

T'Hessen withdrew a communiqué from his robes; while it was from his Village, the decree applied to all Tev'Meckians. He addressed the crowd. "Yes, duels such as that which Luchien and Lareth had proposed, are now illegal…however, the punishment for propagating such an act is severe…." He gazed at Luchien. "…and the punishment is no less severe for those who force their thoughts upon an-other." He now gazed pointedly at Lareth, who felt his knees give way, in shock: His "assault" on the human lieutenant had been discovered!

Frantically, he searched his memory for the laws which applied to his misdeed. Recalling the words of his teachers, he paled. **_"Father, they wouldn't…would they?"_** He "begged", in terror. **_"I'm afraid they WOULD, my son,"_** Lareth "replied", **_"…and, since I did nothing to stop it in your youth, I'll probably be subjected to the same thing…if not worse!"_**

L'Tisha spotted Lareth, as he fell to his knees…and felt his mind reaching for hers. **_"Please…you must stop them!"_** He "begged" his soon-to-be Bond mate, his eyes wide with terror…for the punishment he faced was to have his telepathic abilities ripped from his mind. All Tev'Meckian schoolchildren were taught this, as they learned their planet's laws. This particular punishment was said to be extremely painful, and was to be done, publicly, by all the wives of the Village Elders.

**_"Why should I…after all the times you forced your thoughts upon me, in our childhood?"_** was L'Tisha's immediate response…then, she felt her heart go out to the one Ipthar had decreed should be her Bond mate. **_"Very well, foolish man,"_** She "scolded", **_"I will try…."_**

She then turned to her father…who had a gleam of triumph in his eyes. **_"Father…?"_** She "asked", fear clutching her heart. She knew her long-kept secret was soon to be revealed, and couldn't bear the thought that she would not have a complete Bonding with her Life mate.

**_"Not yet, my Daughter,"_** He "replied". **_"Besides, if I have these Humans judged correctly, it will never come to that!"_**

L'Tisha gave her father a small appreciative smile before turning toward where Lareth, still on his knees, had his gaze trained intently on her. She swapped the appreciative smile for a reassuring one before glancing away and turning her attention to where the humans were approaching where they stood.

Tawney and Katelyn were both now rejoined with Peter and Laz and both couples were walking hand in hand with one another. Lethe and Laredo joined them through the crowd and at last the four Protector crew members and their loves were standing before their Tev'Meckian savior.

"T'Hessen, you have no idea how much we appreciate your help." Peter told the Elder with a large smile as he held out his hand to shake the Tev'Meckian's hand.

The visiting Elder became somber, while his daughter lowered her eyes in shame...for she knew what her father was about to say. A sudden thought struck Lazarus and Lethe, simultaneously, as they realized the reason for their brother's anguish.

"Laz?" Tawney questioned. Near them, Laredo looked a question at Lethe.

Lethe merely squeezed Laredo's hand, as T'Hessen spoke. "Yes, it is true. Lareth has violated the mind of another: He did so, apparently regularly, to my daughter, when they were young."

Tawney's fear at the memory of Lareth's assault on her resurfaced, and showed on her face. "Tawney...NO!" Peter exclaimed, just ahead of Laz's yell of outrage.

Peter found himself having to physically restrain his Chief Advisor as Lazarus launched himself at his own brother, intent on strangling him with his bare hands.

"Uh...I suppose I could be added to that list," Lethe spoke up hesitantly, before she recounted her action upon meeting Tawney in the Departure Hut.

"But you were welcoming me. Plus, you were under a great deal of stress, so I can't really fault you for forgetting to actually speak," consoled Tawney. Looking at T'Hessen, she added, "Right?"

"That is correct," acknowledged T'Hessen, "besides, it is customary for us to welcome visitors in that manner. As you've pointed out, Lethe was under stress...enough stress that she did not realize she was 'addressing' a Human. On the other hand, what Lareth did was done totally in anger."

"...and hatred," the visitors added silently.

"Uh...excuse me," Laredo spoke up. "What was this 'punishment' you were talking about?"

By this time, Luchien and Lareth had been brought forth by the Elders, save the two who had tried to spear Tawney to death...and Liamoto and T'Noseen were being dragged along by their wives, M'ianne, and L'Riss.

"Ah, yes... I heard what you two tried to do before we arrived," T'Hessen scolded his former friends, who-in failing to meet T'Hessen's eyes-convicted themselves immediately. "The two of you will face similar punishment."

"Which is...?" prompted Commander Taggart. Suddenly, he had a sick feeling in his gut.

"They will all be stripped of their telepathic abilities; they have lost the right to 'keep secrets' from anyone...ever again."

Laz then, briefly, explained the method; in his anger, he refused to meet his father or brother's eyes...and so missed the looks of horror on the faces of his shipmates. Tawney's gasp of shock caused him to raise his head. "No!" She cried out.

Ensign Wingate quickly agreed. "There has to be an alternative!"

T'Hessen suppressed his joy at this, but he "told" his daughter, **_"I knew they would not stand for this! Do not despair, Daughter! All will be well...eventually."_** Aloud, he said, "Yes...there is another option...if the Lifemate of Lazarus is agreeable."

At Tawney's enthusiastic nod, T'Hessen said, "Very well. The Elders' wives will inform you of the alternative." Here, he handed L'Riss a paper...although, he could tell from her wolfish grin that she already knew what it said. "Take them away!" commanded T'Hessen. Luchien, Lareth, Liamoto, and T'Noseen were immediately placed in the same hut previously occupied by Taggart and Lazarus.

"Come with us, please," M'ianne requested meekly...deceptively meekly, if Tawney was reading the Tev'Meckian's body language correctly.

**_"This could get interesting!"_** Tawney allowed herself to think. She then realized that, through no action of her own, her thought had not reached her Lifemate. **_"Oh, yes...very interesting!"_** She now thought, devilishly.

TBC…


End file.
